We all crave to be seen, recognized, and appreciated; every fault, anxiety, hypocrisy, and mistake gently loved as aspects of our totality. We are human beings making the attempt to live, and as our minds are filled with flashes of rejection and dreams of being imprisoned unable to leave a poisonous cycle; our flesh, mind, and aura crave to be understood. Conversations is a space that nurtures understanding, but expressing ourselves confidently and fearlessly while our partner looks us in the eyes can take many years to learn; writing letters offers an intimacy that gives us the creative control to write, rewrite, edit, and express fully our message. Through writing letters we control the pace of the conversation without any interruption, and we can work through the shame of honesty. Letter writing allows us to recognize ourselves, and allow someone to recognize us in our fullness. The reader can patiently take everything in, and listen to themselves before responding offer a slower more intentional intimacy than conversation.

Living in a world of instant connectivity most people’s last option of expression would be letter writing. We make our way towards our distant lover through the energy directed towards them while writing; during this moment our isolation diminishes, and our hearts reach out for embrace. There is no rush or urgency in letter writing, the shame can be edited and made in the best form our literary skills can create, and honestly can be sealed within a envelop and we wont have to look for signs of confusion in the face of our lover. They may be absent physically, but present spiritually, and through this recognition we overcome our inability to be vulnerable. Letter writing reveals the content of the heart, and we fill the space of that blank canvas with ourselves.

As Janna Malamud Smith, in An Absorbing Errand expresses, “Letter writing forces you to bring thoughts and feelings into awareness.” We are freed from the silence that suppresses our desire for expression through writing; we are constantly fluctuating between emotions and we can capture our experiences through writing letters. No matter how intimate we can never fully grasp the entirety of another person, but through writing we connect with our lovers within their truest selves- when they are alone. We live in a world of profound isolation, having someone to love you, see you, and accept you has encourage emotional, mental, and spiritual development. There is a security in knowing someone loves us; through writing we place our feelings onto a platter for someone to consume us or reject us.

An absorbing errand is a wondering book that captures the beauty of being recognized and loved through that recognition. Accepting love is difficult, but with patience and mindfulness revealing ourselves becomes a treat and a stimulator for other parts of our lives.