At John Knox Village, resident Mary T. Clark taught more than penmanship this spring — she taught connection.
By Elvira Wolford, DBA, SHRM-SCP, PHR
When I sat down for our cursive writing class, led by resident Ms. Mary T. Clark, I expected to brush up on a skill I hadn’t used in years. Instead, I found one of the most rewarding 30 minutes of my week. A chance to step outside my usual responsibilities and simply be a student alongside employees and residents I don’t always get to know this way.
Watching everyone lean over their pages, I saw why this class meant so much to each of them. Joy Donovan shared that cursive isn’t just handwriting to her. It is how she preserves something personal, from a unique signature to the love letters of family members long past. Sarah Tracey signed up the moment she heard Ms. Clark was teaching, eager to refine skills she’d carried since childhood and to share the experience with coworkers and residents alike. Kayla Cothran had only two weeks of cursive instruction from grade school, and I watched her fluency grow week by week, looking forward to opening up thank-you notes from the residents she served and family letters that once felt out of reach. Oksana Croft, whose role rarely puts her in unhurried conversation with residents, called it a wonderful bonding experience — and I felt exactly the same.
What struck me most was the atmosphere Ms. Clark and our resident coaches created together. Their patience, encouragement, and genuine enthusiasm turned a classroom into something warmer… a place where a beginner and a lifelong writer could sit at the same table and feel equally welcome. Session after session, I watched strangers become familiar faces, and familiar faces become friends.
By the end, I realized the real lesson wasn’t just cursive writing at all. It was the reminder that a shared table, a shared effort, and a little patience can build community as well as any meeting ever could. My thanks to Ms. Clark and her fellow resident coaches for so generously giving their time, knowledge, and talent — and for reminding all of us at John Knox Village of Central Florida why genuine connection is worth the slowing down.
