Journals

I just wanted to jot down a quick note about keeping a journal. I LOVE to re-read all my old journals. Especially the ones from when I was a kid. They are wonderful. The trials remind me of how far I have come, the joys lift me up when I am blue. My husband and I had a really rough patch in our marriage about two years ago and we almost got a divorce. Those journals are the only ones I haven't read over and over. But-- I'm glad I have them so that one day I'll be able to show my kids that marriage and love is about give and take and learning.
When I was a teenager I used to go and sit with my grandma once a week and we'd have lunch. At the time it was a cross between an obligation and wanting to be better than my sisters ;). I didn't see much value in her stories about the kids across the street or the same old story about how she would get an egg and walk it down to the store where she would trade it for an entire bag of candy. However, as times change and the world changes I value her stories more and more. I value an old woman watching kids across the street play, she could phone the police if they were kidnapped or see if they were run over in the wide, sometimes busy streets by her old home. I'm glad I wrote those memories down.
Hopefully a little known fact: I have a hard time with one of my sons. I try desperately not to write down negative thigs about him as I know one day he will read it. I try to be kind as I vent about my days frustrations. It is nice to reread the stories of when he was a baby and I would gush over the mere marvel of his existence. When every coo and every step was precious it is nice to read, 'oh yeah, I did and still do love this chattering hellion.'
All-- no, most of my journals are just spiral notebooks. I like to buy them at the beginning of the school year when they go on sale for 15 or 20 cents. I usually pick the notebooks with colors to reflect how my life is going. The ones from my husbands and my trying times are black. The ones from when I would go and see my grandma are yellow-- I was happier then. Mostly I write in red ones lately. I am not the the happiest I've ever been but I'm not sad.
I date each entry in the top left hand corner with the date, time and day of the week. It's easier to flip through them that way. After all-- they are meant to be read. The other thing I do is write the date n the back of the journal when it was started and finished. For instance the one I completed about 15 minutes ago says in bold purple sharpie "09-15-09 to 07-15-10" I didn't write very often. It took me almost a year to finish! I like to write every day but sometimes with three kids and chickens and ducks and a hubby who works full time and goes to school full time that just ain't happening.