I used my hand to sign my own name again

Dear Delyara, A stroke weakened my dominant hand so badly that I could not hold a pen. In hospital, my wife signed forms for me. That bothered me more than it should have. My signature had always been ugly, but it was mine. Occupational therapy began with gripping blocks, moving coins, drawing lines. Months later, letters. Today, I signed my name on a clinic form without anyone stabilizing my wrist. It took nearly a minute, and the result looks nothing like my old signature. The receptionist waited without rushing. When I finished, I stared at it. Six uneven letters. My wife wanted to photograph the form. I told her absolutely not, then changed my mind. Health recovery has taught me that independence sometimes returns in fragments small enough to fit inside a signature box.