“There’s a kind of time travel in letters, isn’t there? I imagine you laughing at my small joke; I imagine you groaning; I imagine you throwing my words away. Do I have you still? Do I address empty air and the flies that will eat this carcass? You could leave me for five years, you could return never—and I have to write the rest of this not knowing.”
— Amal El-Mohtar
View social media caption
“There’s a kind of time travel in letters, isn’t there? I imagine you laughing at my small joke; I imagine you groaning; I imagine you throwing my words away. Do I have you still? Do I address empty air and the flies that will eat this carcass? You could leave me for five years, you could return never—and I have to write the rest of this not knowing.” — Amal El-Mohtar. Have you ever had the courage to send a message into the void without knowing if anyone would reply? Tell us about a time you took a leap of faith in your relationships in the comments below! 👇✨
About this quote
Amal El-Mohtar’s poignant words capture the ultimate vulnerability of human connection: the courage to love and communicate without any guarantee of reciprocity. When we send a text, write a letter, or bare our souls to someone, we are essentially casting a message into an uncertain future. We build bridges across the vast chasms of time and distance, holding our breath while imagining their laughter, their sighs, or their silence. This profound uncertainty is not a flaw in relationships, but the very essence of what makes them brave. In our daily lives, this quote serves as a gentle reminder that vulnerability is an act of faith. Whether you are waiting for a reply from an estranged friend, sharing your creative work with the world, or simply loving someone who may or may not stay, you are writing into the dark not knowing how the story ends. Yet, we must keep writing anyway. We must keep reaching out, trusting that the act of connection itself—the reaching—is enough to make the journey worthwhile, even when we feel like we are speaking to empty air. Ultimately, embracing this uncertainty teaches us resilience and deepens our appreciation for the moments when answers actually do arrive. It reminds us that life's beauty lies not in guaranteed outcomes, but in the willingness to risk our hearts over and over again. So, let this be your encouragement today: keep sending your love, your art, and your words into the world. Even without knowing the ending, the courage to speak into the void is what makes us truly alive.
Photo Credit:
Photo by aaa mm on Unsplash
