My sister gave me this journal with a photo she took!

Do you keep a journal? Oh, I do. I have kept a diary or journal since the fifth grade when my teacher in England encouraged his students to journal. I loved the idea and latched onto it with a relentless grip. My sisters wish I would desist especially when I write down expressions and conversations from our sometimes outrageously funny and amusing adventures together. Why do I do this activity when no one will ever read them while I am alive? I am addicted! It is part of my day, just as reading my Bible, praying, and writing. I wouldn’t say I put the same emphasis as my devotional and Bible time, but I do feel I have to enter something about my day.  

I have boxes of journals stored in the top of a closet. Oh those dramatic days of my teenage years–I don’t think I ever want to look at those again. What about my college years or early marriage? The years of infertility, then days with young children. Financial difficulties and career changes. The travel ones hold a special place separate from the boxes since I use them for research. My journaling is not necessarily exciting. Sometimes, I record the weather and the price of gas. Well, hurricane Katrina stands out as an exceptional weather and life changing situation. Answered prayers and major life events like weddings, births, and deaths fill the pages.

I find keeping a diary brings a calming element to my reality. It might be strange to some, but I can’t stop now….

How do you keep records of your personal life? Photos? Videos? Letters?