Writing Letters

I went out yesterday, and bought some good stationary.

It's cotton, in a pale cream colour, with matching envelopes. It is a nice stock, not too heavy, but, nothing that will fly away should you put it on your desk either before it's written on or after it's received. You can write on both sides, and it won't show through.

When the Jarhead was in boot camp, he wasn't allowed contact by phone... the only call that was ever allowed was when he called home upon being told about the death of my dad. HRH and I faithfully wrote him, every day. I was lured back into the memory of how I liked to put words on paper. I don't email all that much, text is so irritating to me, it's faceless and toneless and is read in the voice of the person who has received it...so, no matter what you say, the sentence is heard in the emotion of the one who is getting the mail... a simple sentence can cause pain if the receiver is in a bad place, or, it can put promises when none are meant.

Written letters show how you feel... the pressure of the pen on paper allow emotion and even how you feel physically to show. Tears drop on the paper, your hand moves, leaving bits of you to be sent along, microscopic, but, there all the same.

They are far more personal... you take time to send a letter... uncap the pen ... I only use fountain pens with bottled ink... take the paper out, you think before you put the pen in motion. The sound of the nib moving over the paper, the way it catches the ink... it glistens for a moment before it's absorbed. Your thoughts are sucked into that paper, suddenly all one being. It takes all your senses to write a letter...it involves you completely. As you write, your handwriting is hurried if you find yourself thinking faster than you can write or slow and smooth if you are writing something serious.. a letter of condolence or one of love.

The last is the one you take the time with, your words going to that person who holds your heart... you think carefully... hold the pen over the paper... pour out how you feel, letting all of it show, there.... having your feelings sing.

There is nothing as romantic as reaching into a drawer, and pulling out a packet of letters, tied up with faded writing, and reading the words there. I have the love letters....even though they are simply letters of communication they contain words of missing and longing to be back when his trip is over... between my great grandfather who was a steamship captain on the Mississippi and great grandmother. She had five children when they married... and he writes to her as if she's young and beautiful and... he adores her, you can see it in each line.

You're done....it's signed, you put it in the envelope, address it, and put a stamp on it to be mailed.


You simply cannot be more intense than that in a communication.


I'm going back to writing letters... yes, it may take longer, and yes, I may get emails in response. No, I'm not going to give up email or phones... it's necessary at times. But, I am going to write to those I love... friends, family.. others. To send them part of me, to let them know I love them enough to take the time to put my pen on a piece of beautiful, lush stationary... and have it soak up my thoughts and words and emotions and so I can send it off to them.