Journals and Papers

Writing in a journal through illness is a great way to relieve stress and release the silent voice that screams to be heard, but wishes to scream in silence. Mostly, we don’t want to burden our family members with true feelings of the illness we are suffering, especially if the illness is terminal.

I recently lost an aunt to brain and lung cancer. She kept journals for most of her adult life. Several hardbound journals lined her bookshelves as her life experiences unfolded over the years as stories within these journals. When I heard about her illness, I thought that she might want to describe her feelings as she fought the cancer, so I sent her a “Her Life” journal. I thought as we prayed for a healthy outcome, she might like to write about her journey of the battle she was having with her health. When she was well she could look back over those pages, or place it on her bookshelf with all the others.

Sadly, with chemo treatments and radiation, she was only able to write a small bit before she had trouble seeing and writing. She did continue drawing and “doodling” (she laughed when she told me that) inside that journal. She lost the fight against cancer a few months after she received the journal. I hope that by jotting down a few things, my aunt was able to find some peace from the pain that engulfed her. Now her journals are being passed onto her children so they will come to know the strong woman behind the words.

You don’t have to be a writer to keep a journal; in fact journaling has a variety of benefits and advantages for everyone. Keeping a journal allows a person to track their thoughts and feelings and retains them for future reference. Everyone has said at some time “what was I thinking?” People who record their feelings in a journal can look back on their entries to better understand themselves.

Journaling is a proven stress reducer. Once you write something down it’s not as likely to bother you anymore. Keeping a personal journal is a great tool for goal setting. By writing down your goals you can actually see and better understand what’s important to you. Organization is also a benefit of journaling. Cataloguing what you want to accomplish each day is a great tool to help you get those things done.

Journals are also a wonderful gift for friends or family members.

It’s not an uncommon fact that many teens keep a journal. When it’s difficult to talk about problems with a parent, sibling or councilor, turning to a writing journal is the next best thing. It may seem strange to get started if you’ve never written in a journal before, but it’s so easy to do.

You don’t need anything fancy, use a simple scribbler, or if you want to keep a small notebook in your purse or backpack, that’s a great idea too. Small notebooks are discreet and if you feel a little foolish bringing out a huge scribbler (someone might think you are doing homework – Yuk), then that’s your best bet.

Not sure what to write about? No worries. Try something which is called freefall writing. But first, never start writing on the first page of your new journal. It’s way too intimidating. Not to mention if you catch someone taking a quick peek at your journal, they usually begin on the first page. Writing a few pages in gives you a chance to catch the culprit and grab the journal before they get too in-depth into it.

Back to free fall writing. This is a method of writing where you let the pen go as fast as your wrist can keep up to jot down whatever your mind is telling you. You’ll be writing using the right side of your brain, which is the creative, intuitive side, or the heart part of your brain. That ‘romantic, don’t care how messy I am’ side of yourself. For once, forget about grammar, punctuation and form. Just write like crazy – don’t censor your thoughts, don’t prompt your brain for new ideas, and don’t even worry if what you are writing is good or not. Just write. Write from your heart.

Are you worried nothing will come? Don’t worry, it will. If it isn’t, then quit censoring yourself. Just let it be and let go. Keep a journal when talking won’t help. Once your thoughts are off your chest, you might feel a little drained, but you will also feel lighter somehow.

Go for it and let us know how it works for you, by replying to this post.

Writing a personal history is a daunting task for many of us. Where do I start? What things should I include? What’s so interesting about my life anyway?

Your personal history, however, is a very important part of your family history, and no one will be able to tell your story better than you. You can start off small, by keeping a personal journal. Or, you can capture your entire personal history by working through the questions in this great tutorial for writing your personal family history from arduous research. If you really can’t face writing about yourself, then a family newsletter may offer an interesting alternative. It’s a fun way to capture some of your family’s personal history for future generations.

What comes to mind when you think of a writing journal? Do you see a hardbound book? A password protected file saved on your computer’s desktop? A sketch pad? A three-ring binder with pages that can be moved around? The fact is, there are as many types of journals as there are people who write in them.

Despite the variety, all journals fill one important need – they serve as safe harbors where one can write without censorship, exploring new ideas, trying out different personalities, and clarifying values. To begin a journal, or continue one, is to embark on an inward voyage that has outward implications. Great writing is not required, only a desire to discover who you are at your core.

It has always been part of my everyday routine to update my personal journal.  For me, this is my own private way of expressing emotions from life’s daily experiences. It was great to find quality journals at your online store. The variety offers different styles for every journal needs.

I love the idea that I get to keep my journals in fine elegant papers, all bundled in a nice and durable leather; perfect to ensure that my journal would surely last a lifetime.