No Doubt About It, Life Can Get Busy!
It’s a fact, no way around it, life just gets hectic at times…especially at this time of year! However, it seems that fond memories add up the quickest at Christmas time. Most certainly, we don’t feel like we have the time to sit down and record some of the neat, everyday occurences in our lives, and the camera is jam pack full of great pictures that we will get around to printing at some point! These special times are also the ones that we might look back on and wish that we had taken the time to document them in some way, then they could be better shared with those we love!
A line from the preface of my dad’s journal is perhaps a subtle reminder for us to make a better effort at writing down some of the highlights in our lives: “As I have tried to look back into the past, I’ve been saddened to find that few records exist to help me know, appreciate or understand the lives of my forbearers. The ups and downs, the activities, learning and rich experiences of their lives are gone, never to be recalled.”
If you are at all like me, the process of regular, daily journaling seems a bit daunting–and sometimes simply impossible! To help calm the anxiety I sometimes feel in trying to do better at keeping some of my memories alive for my children, and now my sweet grandchildren, I’ve adapted a habit that my mother was good at doing throughout her life. Most often, my mom jotted little notes on a calendar she kept each year; along with daily appointments, which in and of itself can reveal some interesting things about a person. My mom would write a little note on her calendar each day on how she felt going to various social events she attended with my dad, or fun ideas shared at get-togethers with her friends. She would also describe in a work or two, her feelings after she participated in various functions with each of us as children. I can recall one funny entry during dance recital time for me and my younger sister, where she notes that the costumes were due to be done for the rehearsal. Mom wrote how glad she was that she’d hired someone to make the elaborate dance outfits. I had to chuckle when I read, “I am so glad I hired a SEAMSTRESS to make the costumes, less STRESS for me!” As you can imagine, the culmination of these calendars have turned into a lifelong record of memories! Her calendars weren’t fancy or expensive; they were usually ones my dad brought home from the local bank or hardware store. The calendars were ones designed with big boxes for each day of the month, giving my mom plenty of room to jot down her obligations and make a few notes.
How Can We Start Our Own Unique Way of Journaling?
Rather than looking at “journaling” as a task or obligation, it can perhaps become a fun way to make good use of those extra few seconds we try to glean from each day. Writing a line or two in some sort of journal or book may not only help us decompress a little from the “busy-ness” of our lives, it might very well prove to be a good reminder for us to really appreciate the day’s events, no matter how ordinary they might seem. Everyday occurrences will soon accumulate into treasured reading in the future!
A Christmas Giveaway!
With these thoughts in mind, and in the spirit of giving with Christmas right around the corner, I am giving away two of my favorite booklets to help inspire you to start a new type of easy journaling in your life…or it may be that the giveaway will be the perfect thing to help inspire someone else that may be on your Christmas list!
Mom’s Five Second Memory Journal (by Potter Style, Published by Rndom House)
This journal is just FUN! I came across this little booklet a few years ago, and since it approaches memories in a unique, random question format, it will be an ongoing process for years to come. It has been hilarious for me, and indeed very insightful, to ponder the various questions asked and look back and recall some of the crazy times I’ve had while raising a family. This journal also focuses on how you feel and encourages a “real” view of life in the trenches, so to speak!
The Extraordinary Women’s 2013 Monthly Desk Planner (Published by Lang)
My daughter gave me one of these Lang monthly desk planners one year for Christmas. It is still a favorite go-to for planning out my month. In this day and age of abundant electronic planning links, I still love the art of writing things down and having it handy on my desk to glance at as I walk by to take the garbage out or stand nearby to fold a pile of laundry. It’s a much fancier version of the type of calendar my mom used, but it still has large boxes for each day of the week and other unique places to write down reminders or jot a quick note.
Bottom line, these planners just make me smile with their quirky pictures and tribute quotes to womanhood; one example is for the month of August a few years back, there was a drawing of a pair of high heels with the quote, “Knowing summer would soon end…she danced until dawn!” Reading that has got to make any month go better!
There are multiple ways to win!
- Leave a comment in this post and answer the question. “What are some ways that you have found to help motivate you to keep a journal?” Do you use a blog to keep your memories or do you jot down thoughts in a notebook that you keep in your purse? Share your ideas with me!
- “Like” my Facebook page
- “Share” a link to my Facebook page on your timeline.
Entry Requirements:
- Please leave a comment for each entry you make and let me know what you did.
- Two random winners will be announced next Saturday evening, December 22, 2012 and contacted via email.
Can’t wait to see your responses. This will be fun!!
–Mary