Why I Write

My first journal was a hardcover white book with wide-ruled lines and a snap to keep the cover shut. I begged my mom for it when we were shopping one day when I was five. She told me she’d buy the book only if I’d promise to write in it.

I’m still keeping that promise 17 journals later.

I won’t pretend that I wrote consistently all that time. Life does get busy, and sometimes voice-activated password journals marketed to preteen girls refuse to come unlocked for months. But for most of high school, I wrote daily in my journal.

What I love most about journal writing is the work involved in weaving words into a meaningful representation of my feelings. By filtering whatever problem I’m grappling with to the forefront of my consciousness, through my head and heart and out onto paper, I see more clearly the Lord’s hand in my life, how I rely on others, and the blessings I’ve been given.

Writing is a thoughtful process, a way for me to ponder. It’s essential in my study of the scriptures, my Personal Progress goals, and in my review of the day and events that have passed. Writing is how I organize and understand my life. It’s a gift from Heavenly Father.