My Journal

Towards the end of December I became impressed by the journals of some of my blogger friends. The words they wrote seemed to flow with lovely descriptions and vivid details. On one of my many Christmas shopping trips, I had bought several journals as gifts. I still had a set of three that I had not given as a present. I decided that on New Year's Day 2009 I would enter my first entry into a journal. I thought that writing in a journal might be therapy for me. I am past having aspirations for fame and fortune but I would like to find more purpose for my life. In an effort to help myself to articulate my thoughts more meticulously, I searched the Internet for information about writing in journals. After hours of reading material that appeared to instruct journal authors to write like students writing a thesis for a doctorate, I came across the following brief article which to me is what journal writing is all about.

Journal Therapy is the act of writing down thoughts and feelings to sort through problems and come to deeper understandings of oneself or the issues in one's life. Unlike traditional diary writing, where daily events and happenings are recorded from an exterior point of view, journal therapy focuses on the writer's internal experiences, reactions, and perceptions. Through this act of literally reading his or her own mind, the writer is able to perceive experiences more clearly and thus feels a relief of tension. This has been shown to have mental and physical health benefits.

My set of three journals

Although I am a novice, I have learned that writing in my journal is relaxing. I drink a cup of tea as I write and compose my thoughts in a leisurely manner. Life has enough pressures without my turning a fun project into work.
One of my favorite possessions is this appointment book that belonged to my great-aunt, Frances Irene Kyle Rosensteel who was born in 1901. She actually used the appointment book as a journal.

Aunt Frances was only 19 when she wrote in this 1920 appointment book.

Aunt Frances talked about her courtship, her family, and her everyday life. I have to use a magnifying glass to read where she wrote in pencil as it is so faded. I love reading about Aunt Frances' life as she lived it all those years ago.

My desire for my journal is that many years from now someone will read and enjoy it as I enjoy the journal that my great aunt wrote so many years ago.