Thanks to my “business manager” (aka my husband) I added another element to my presentation the other night. I brought journals along – some basic composition books he had augmented with guidelines pasted on the inside covers. Since the Atria in Barrington RI was considerate enough to offer me a speaker/travel fee, I felt I could afford to give these books gratis to anyone in the audience who wanted one. As usual, I asked the attendees: "Who already keeps a journal?" I was surprised when only one person raised her hand. Many of the remaining participants did take a journal with them when they left. I hope they are using them!
    With “Journaling Through Life’s Challenges” on the cover, the book offers what any journal offers someone: a place to put those thoughts and feelings, especially those that can weigh us down. I’d written in the guidelines: "This is your "wastebasket" for trash, your "altar" for prayer -- and anything in between!"  Another important bit of advice though: "Never expect it to become a book." Journaling is private; it has to be to stay honest, I think. That I was “insane” enough to put my journal entries out there as I shared my story, well, that’s just testimony to the honesty of the account. Personal essays come close in capturing that honesty, but I’d better not go down that path. (Trying to explain the difference between journal entries and personal essays became a maddening joke between my publisher and me!)
    Best to just encourage writing! Write it down, get it out, and get through whatever trial is causing you pain. I’ll soon be starting a new prayer journal  myself as my present one is filling up. I love the feeling of a book with blank pages beckoning me. And life always offers us fresh material.