APOLOGY, PASSION AND ACCEPTANCE
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR : LADAWN BLACK : JANUARY 2009
Reading the letters, the biggest thing that jumped out at me is that people
really don't take the time to write a well-crafted love letter anymore. We are
so in the mindset of texting or the quick email message that a lot of the letters
submitted didn't say much, or were so incoherent that I bet the receiver wasn't
really sure if the communication was affirming their love or calling the whole
thing off.
The bright light in the submissions was that many of them are thoughtful, traditional
love letters that shed light on a moment in time (PSYCHOTIC
LUNATIC) and the lessons learned (AN OPEN LETTER
TO A WIFE). I loved the letters where people are apologizing for bad
behavior or rededicating themselves to getting it right this time (I
DON'T WANT YOU TO SLIP AWAY). The letters are from both men and women,
which in my eyes shows that we all get it wrong sometimes, and there is absolutely
nothing wrong with recommitting to getting it right.
My absolute favorite letters speak to a love that has simmered under the skin
for months, or even years. These letters show that love can endure even in circumstances
where it will never be realized (FALL INTO THE PIT OF
HELL), when one loves and the other no longer does, or even when a friend
will never cross the friend line for that something more (IT'S
NOT A GAME). I found these letters romantic because the emotion in the
words is palpable. My heart was pulled into these tales of love not yet quenched.
In the end, there were a few letters that will stay with me forever. In fact,
after reading them, I had to tell others of their unique content. One letter
from a woman extolling her love for a man that will never marry her (DOESN'T
WANT TO MARRY ME), made me think of how often we let a good person go
because of what they will not give us instead of celebrating what they do. Another
letter from a husband, presented almost like a poem (I
WILL), speaks to how much he values his marriage and all the things he
is willing to do to make sure it works. What woman does not want to hear that?
The final letter that left an imprint is from a woman asking her husband to
take her back (HAD A TASTE OF WHAT I WANTED). It
is one of the shorter letters, but it gets to the heart of thinking that you
want something else -- going there -- and then coming back.
I loved being part of so many love stories!
LaDawn Black
Baltimore
2 January 08