Sep. 6, 2006 - Keeping a Record Part Two

It has already been several months since I posted my determination to do a better job of keeping a written record of our lives. Much to my dismay, I have not done very well at doing so.

I have been feeling a bit desperate about it, as I feel the days, and the memories they include, slipping through my fingers; knowing full well that someday I will grieve that they were not preserved in writing.

The ladies over at Choosing Home have chosen journaling as their topic of the week and I have been enjoying what has been written so far. It has re-inspired me and re-convinced me that no matter how busy I am, it is important to take the time (within reason of course... it can be put on the back burner if one has a sick child, is in the middle of a move or labor ;-),etc....) to keep a written record.

There are so many important reasons for writing about and journaling our lives, more than can even be touched on in one short post, but here are what I believe to be the most vital.

First, of course, is to preserve as much as possible the memories of the present.

When I reread the things that I have written I am always so glad that I took the time to record them. My memory is always jogged and the past comes back clearly for a moment and I remember things that I would otherwise have forgotten.

As I watch my babies grow so quickly I long to somehow hold on to their baby hood. Of  course I want them to grow up and love watching them as they do, but there is a little part of me that aches for the babies they once were. Along with pictures and home movies, I believe that writing is a crucial part of preserving these precious days.

As we record our lives, we are also creating something very important for our children-standing stones that point to the work of the Lord in our lives, and our own personal family history books.

I have seen the blessing of this already in my own life. For most of our engagement, my husband and I were separated by many miles. As a result we did a lot of letter writing and talking online. We saved those letters as well as most of our discussions. I count this as a wonderful blessing since some day our children and grandchildren will have a written account of the very beginnings of our family. They can read firsthand accounts of the way the Lord brought their parents together and the miracles that God can work when we allow Him. While we will tell our children these stories, I think that being able to read them will make them even more real.

My grandmother was a British war bride in World War Two, an era in which phone calls across the ocean were very rare. She has saved many letters from family from those days and I love to sit with her and read through them. It makes the past come very much alive.

When we read what someone has written we not only get a peek into the events they have recorded, we also get a peek at the person themselves; what was important to them, what words, or phrases they liked to use, and if they could spell or not. ;-)

As our children read what we have written, they will also be able to see our growth in the Lord, what convictions our family holds to, family recipes (if we could spell or not) and so much more.

Naptime is over, so I must close for now. As I read over what I have written I wonder why in the world I haven't made journaling a priority before! I regret that I have not done more writing, but am excited to mend my ways . We shall see... at the very least my children and grandchildren will know that I wanted to(o?)...and if  I could spell ;-).

..(... and by posting this I have great motivation since I will reeeeally feel dumb if I still never get around to writing.)