WRITING MY LIFE’S STORY
I’ve loved journaling for as long as I can remember. My very first “journal” was a small brown diary with a tiny lock and key. As I grew older, that little diary evolved into a spiral notebook filled with my thoughts about school, friends, clothes, and of course, all my crushes! I even sketched and doodled in those pages. Writing in my journals gave me a place to think things through and lots of reflecting.
My love for documenting life came naturally. From an early age, I watched my mother faithfully record our family’s stories through photos and written histories. She did this for all ten of her children….. a truly remarkable act of love and dedication. One of the greatest gifts she ever gave me was my own history, carefully preserved through her words. It taught me that journaling is more than writing…. it’s legacy-building.
When my boys were born, I began keeping journals for them too. Page by page, I chronicled their milestones, their challenges, and all the fun stories in-between. When they turned nineteen, I set the journaling aside and made them scrapbooks. These captured the next two years of their lives, when they served missions for our church.
Throughout my life, journaling has been a constant…. a place to reflect, release, and remember. It’s more than just words….. it’s actually very therapeutic, and throughout my life, has given me so much clarity. Writing allows us to process emotions, celebrate growth, and find gratitude even during the hard times. My journal acted as a therapist many, many times.
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Journaling reminds me that EVERY life…… no matter how ordinary it may seem, is filled with extraordinary moments worth remembering. Whether my posterity ever pulls them out to read or not, doesn’t matter to me. It has been a blessing to ME, and that’s enough. No matter if your words are recorded in a locked diary, a spiral notebook, or a digital page, journaling is a gift….. one that connects our past, and enriches our present. And preserving our future is the GREATEST GIFT we can give to our families.
