by Eleanor Blythe

Created on: July 16, 2008   Last Updated: December 16, 2009

I can't recall the day I turned 25. That memory, decades old, eludes me. That it marked one quarter century of living doesn't much matter, despite the fact that I was simultaneously dealing with the pain of a miscarriage and ending an unhappy marriage. My recollections are fuzzy. So much happened that winter. . . but the depth and sharp details are missing. Wonder, angst, wrenching joy and unbearable pain - all but lost, because I didn't commemorate my life through journaling.

Keeping a journal is a time-honored ritual of the few. How lovely if it were embraced by everyone. The benefits of journaling are overwhelmingly positive, from both a personal and historic perspective. Journaling is therapeutic. The outpouring of hope, anger, or the recollection of crisp details - all honor the gift of life and chronicle our unique passage. Sometimes, it just helps to take an emotional load off.

It makes sense to document a lifetime for the record. Imagine if all our great-grandmothers had penned their secret joys, fears and longings - their coping mechanisms, the tricks up their sleeves, and their compromises. How rich would be our understanding if people from all walks of life and ethnicities had religiously documented this way.

That we are busy doesn't diminish our ability to journal. Our lives are epic events, overflowing with what makes us human. We matter, our contributions count, and even the mundane has worth. It just makes sense that our "busy-ness" yields even more experiences to capture on paper or CD Rom. People often mistakenly avoid journaling because of the perceived "time commitment." But journaling is not a chore. Rather, journaling is a personal "journey," customized as we see fit.

Journaling can be a daily ritual, or an every-other-day ritual, or tackled weekly, or done event-by-event. One size does not fit all and your own style of journaling will develop. Some write 15 minutes every evening before bedtime. Others grab their journals while in the grasp of some great happening. Some may write in an all-consuming way for days or weeks, and then take months off at a time. Regardless, there are simple tools to keep you on track and facilitate the successful telling of your life.

1. Carry a small notebook and pencil in your purse or briefcase to capture "happenings".

2. Keep a small notebook and pencil on your night stand. Use them and you will never lose a profound thought or dream.

3. Use one main journal to collect your thoughts and record your impressions. This may be a notebook, a traditional blank-page journal, a diary, or a computer. Some people tape or staple pages from their small notebooks into their main notebook journal.

4. Keep your main journal, whether this be a notebook or computer, in one place. Store your work safely, for it is the sacred text of your life. It is smart to back up your computerized journal in the event of IT problems. Many full paper or CD Rom journals are stored in a safety deposit box.

5. Consider whether or not to share your journal. Your reasons for journaling may be purely cathartic. Or, perhaps you want your life to be part of a historic record. Some leave journals to their loved ones as part of an estate. Some donate their journals to historical societies. Some choose not to share their journals at all.

Remember, your personal style of journaling is guilt-free. It is a custom forum for you to adapt as you see fit. There is no right or wrong way to journal. The key is to find your special style and go for it.

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