Felicity. That is a word I learned from Jane Austen. It is one of her favorites and means "happiness." Felicity is on my mind because I have been reading Austen and writing letters. Today as I sat down to write I was struck with the comfort I find in penning a letter. This is not a novel feeling or an unexpected one; I was just especially aware of it today. Perhaps the small stack of respond-to-letters encouraged in me this sense of comfort (those large stacks can seem so daunting). Comfort and felicity come not only through writing letters but also through reading them. Because of this, I particularly like carrying letters with me when I anticipate having to wait somewhere such as the dentist's office or the Department of Motor Vehicles. Pulling out a letter and reading it in public makes any present discomfort fade as the letter's civility provides a hedge against my surroundings. How better to pass an hour at the DMV than in silent conversation with a friend? Only in a letter can I find both solitude and friendship; both silence and conversation. What felicitous comfort is to be found in a letter.
4 Comments
Well said! Taking a letter along with you to read can provide one with a protective hedge when in uncomfortable situations. (As can a good book. =D) I often find writing letters in those circumstances to be a challenge though. I need a calm and quiet environment to focus on my correspondent.
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1/14/2013 09:57:18 pm
Eloquently stated! I had a waiting time last night and brought my letter with me to pass the time.
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Loved your thoughts on Letters and reading them anywhere. I have a few in my bag right now, as well as some paper and pens in case I get inspired to start a response. A few weeks ago I was sitting in the nail salon waiting my turn. I pulled out paper and started to write. Of course people in the stations around me were asking what I was doing. My nail magician (yes she is quite magical) said, " Oh she is probably working on lesson plans..." to which I replied, "No, I am writing a letter." Stunned silence surrounded me. Everyone was in shock. Too funny.
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1/16/2013 12:25:59 am
You made me laugh, Sauni-Rae. It just shows how far letter writing is outside most people's daily experience. I hope you enjoyed being so shocking :o)
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Letter Matters
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