Out of practice

Those who e-mailed their condolences got my thanks e-mailed in return, but I thought it proper to send "snail-mailed" condolence-acknowledgment cards to those who mailed me cards, paid shiva calls, and/or made donations in memory of my father. I was surprised at how difficult that turned out to be. First, I realized that I'm completely out of the habit of writing by hand just about anything longer than a shopping list, and found that my handwriting has deteriorated. Then I realized that I'd been thanking people without mentioning that their visits, cards, and/or donations were shiva visits and/or were on the occasion of my father's death. Oy. It's fortunate that I'm getting better at this, since, with 19 cards written, I still have roughly 15 to go.