Melissa

A Journaler

It was 1985. I was 11 years old. My parents were divorcing. I was devastated and didn’t know how to express it. Sitting on my bed, I found myself looking at a blank page in a school notebook. In my childish handwriting, I wrote November 28, 1985 9:30pm. Under the date, I wrote about how alone I felt in my confusion over what was happening to my family.

I don’t know what prompted me to journal that day, but I did. November 28th was the day I decided I would no longer cry. Instead I would write. I saved that lone piece of paper in a unicorn folder. When I happened upon it again a few months later, I decided to write again. In those initial entries, I didn’t realize I was journaling. In my pre-teen angst, I thought that writing letters to myself, or to God, was something that only I did. Somehow I thought writing in my notebooks made me abnormal. Nevertheless, I kept writing. After the second journal entry I wrote page after page until my unicorn folder was bursting with loose leaf sheets of paper. So I started a new folder - Lisa Frank this time.

Since that time, I have learned that crying, as well as other expressions of emotion, are healthy. As a child though, writing was a helpful alternative for expression. In those journals are a lot of words, a lot of life, a lot of the comfort I needed not just as a child but throughout my lifetime.

When I was 13, I received my very first journal from my grandmother. I remember the excitement of having this blank book to fill, the realization that there were books made for just this type of thing. Like my first journal, most of my journals I received as gifts from family, friends and colleagues. Those in my circle of influence know that journaling has been a lifelong practice for me.

As I positioned my journals for this photo, I had the sense of being with old friends. I lovingly paged through one or two of them, longing to stop a while and reminisce. In each journal, I found loose leaf sheets, napkins, and scratch paper from the times when the need to write had come over me and my trusty friend was not at my side.

These days I am rarely without my journal. In the past I had mostly journaled when the desire to write struck me. Now I am finding that in addition to spontaneous journaling, setting aside dedicated time for reflection is also important. Even so, when I started using the prompts from Prom[p]t I was skeptical, but willing to give it a try. As a life-long journaler I didn’t think the prompts would add to my journaling experience. I was taken aback by the outcome. In the past I used journaling as a way to release and express emotions. Prom[p]t has enriched my journaling experience by adding an avenue for growth. The prompts bring me to hard truths but those truths are never “bad” truths… just growing truths.

What has your journaling journey looked like? What has been your Prom[p]t journaling experience so far?

Love,

Melissa

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