can you hear me now?

Amid weeks of travelling, moving, unpacking, packing, driving, visiting, parting, departing, boating, shopping, drawing, reading, and wandering, I have been hopelessly amiss in my writing. My journal has been neglected, as has this wonderous little blog I used to think would be the end of me. Beyond that also, my motivation for writing has been wanting. Topics have eluded me and the proper pen for conjuring thoughts to the paper just cannot be found.

Then it struck me: writing. That is what I have been wanting to write on! More than anything, writing and communication. I have inadvertently been blessed with the opportunity to participate in long-distance communication with several dear friends of mine and my brother while they live beyond my reach physically and telephonically. The result has been letters and emails up the wazoo, none of which I would trade for anything.

Though these individuals are seeming light-years away from me, their company is enjoyed and our relationships strengthened through this correspondence. Through our writing. I love that I can do this with these friends and family members. In a fast-paced world, these meticulously written notes are a treasure. Sometimes they are handwritten, other times typed and emailed, but always well-thought and, for the most part, well written. (My brother's grammar struggles more than his spelling..) No matter what condition I receive them in, I treasure these letters. The time and care the dear writers took to produce these messages reminds me of the love and care they share for me.

Beyond that, reading them all is an absolute delight! You learn so much about one's personality by the way they write. How they structure a sentence, how they formulate thoughts, what they really care about. Some letters are incredibly well written and completely suck me into another world, worlds that are often unknown to myself.

It makes me mildly sad to think that letters are not sent as frequently. There is such an art to it, such history, and such fun behind the practice! The records letters leave behind are invaluable in some situations, as later generations turn to these communications for reference to a time gone by.