A process for making an absorbent towel paper web is provided. The process steps include a) providing a papermaking furnish, b) forming a differential density wet fibrous web from the paper making furnish; and, c) drying the differential density wet fibrous web until fibrous web contains not more than about 10% by weight moisture to form the absorbent towel paper web. Step a) provides the steps of providing: i) from about 20.1% to about 99.9% by weight of a softwood pulp fiber mixture and, ii) from greater than 0% to about 79.9% by weight of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture. Step i) further provides the steps of providing u) from about 20% to about 99.8% by weight of softwood pulp fiber, v) from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of cellulose nano-filaments, and, w) from about 0.05% to about 5.0% by weight of strengthening additive.