I was rushing through the grocery store this weekend trying to do too much in too little time. At our check out, we are almost always asked to donate money to a cause and fill out our name on a card that is posted in the store. I always give $1, figuring that adding $1 to my grocery bill is manageable for us and necessary for the cause. Today, I started scribbling my name on the turkey shaped paper, ready to run out quickly.

Of course, for the first time ever, Katherine said, “Can I sign my name today?” Part of me was ready to say, “No! We are in a terrible hurry!” but instead, I took a deep breath and handed her the pen. I commanded my breath to slow as she diligently wrote each letter of her very long name with precision. She writes her name a lot but it was clear to her that this was something different. She took great care to make her handwriting very neat as if the seriousness of the task demanded a different level of legibility.

I am so very glad I was able to pause and give Katherine a true opportunity for real world, authentic and purposeful writing. Lets hope I stop and remember to do this kind of ‘work’ with her over and over again…