Author, Cheryle Boyle, Atlanta, GA, writes about journaling as an emotional outlet and sharing with children at a young age its benefits.

Dancing with My Diary

by

Cheryle Boyle

When writing my book, "538: Murder, Suicide and A Mother’s Love," I chose to include a diary as the latter part of the book.  I believe that it is important to journal or keep a daily diary.  When the book was finished I prepared a sample diary as a give-away.  I shared this give-away with my granddaughters and asked for their assistance in its preparation.  My eldest granddaughter drew the sunflowers that are depicted inside the front cover and subsequent pages.  She also wrote a prepared summary of what it means to journal. I would like to share this with you:

I journal because it calms me and allows me a place to visit where all is quiet.  Journaling can be an addictive behavior, but a positive one.  Unlike drugs, alcohol, shopping or chewing my nails, it affords me an emotional outlet that no one else can invade or judge.  Journaling gives me a barometer to look back on and check my soul.  I want to keep a journal because later on I will be able to see who I was at any given point and determine if I have changed.  I can go back to that time and see that person and process any negatives that would heal my soul.  I will be able to go back to that exact time and place in space that I otherwise would not have been able to go.  I would have had to rely on my memories or others memories of me.  Journaling is much more reliable.  It’s a record of who I was and who I am.

 I am in the process of putting together a focus group of young girls, ages 8-12, to see how they feel about journaling.  I would like to teach them to journal and afford them a place to share their feelings.  Hopefully, this will build a life-long positive behavior that will become rewarding and valued when they look back many years later.  If you have any thoughts on this topic, please share.  I’d love your input.