My Love of Journaling

Journaling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Journaling has always been cathartic for me. I usually pick up the journal in times of emotional crisis as a form of therapy. I have four that I’ve written in. They span from the early nineties to last night. I only manage to write on a quarter to half of the pages though. It has always bothered me that I’ve never been able to finish a whole journal. I was re-reading my most recent journal last night. I came to the realization as I difficultly read about two of the most traumatic times of my life. Once these events are survived I want to put them away and not confront them anymore. It was very hard to read about them last night, but there were some fun moments too. My intention has always been to finish a journal once I started one, so interspersed between my cathartic ramblings I tried to include some happy memories and five things I’m thankful for entries. My enthusiasm for journaling waxes and wanes like the moon, I’ve gone YEARS in between entries. The largest gap has been 6 years…..How old is my daughter? Almost 6.  How could I not journal about her? I did, in her baby books, scrapbooks and now a school journal and boxes full of her memories from the year. I even just bought her first journal. So far I haven’t seen a budding Shakespeare emerge; as a matter of fact I think the journal is under the seat in our car!

Since I use journaling as a form of therapy, the gaps in entries can only mean I have been pretty happy and secure in my life. That’s a good thing!

As I’m wondering why someone like me, with no writing background decided to write a blog, all I have to do is look around at all of the baby books, journals, Christmas memory journal, vacation photo journals and scrapbooks with journaling all throughout. I am a WRITER! At very least writing and recording memories has always been a passion and something that brings me joy. Lest I forget my college degree was earned by writing a lot of papers on various works of literature and educational theories.

The reason journaling became my first real blog is because I wanted to write about our upcoming cruise on May 27. In my tour through my purple journal last night I reminisced about 3 previous cruises I went on. I just got carried away with my history of journaling.

I absolutely love cruising. Cruising will be my next blog.