The Power of Writing

I love a good book, the ones that leave an impression and stir up real emotions. I am amazed at people's ability to write in such a way, fiction or non-fiction, that can leave you with profound insights and feelings as you read. The way that they capture the human condition so you are able to relate to the characters and their experiences in life on some level or another.

I just finished reading a book called, "These Is My Words" and loved it. It is a work of fiction but is inspired by the author's own family memoirs. It is in the diary format of a woman's life and struggles in the Arizona Territories in the late nineteenth century. She shares the good and the bad with such honesty.

It got me thinking about the legacy that I could leave to my posterity through journal writing. I've never been very good at it but often think about how important it can be. Usually, in the past, I would wonder how much of myself, my true feelings I really want to put in my journal. Do I want to reveal, the good the bad and the ugly?

I know that I admire those who are truly honest with how they are feeling. I read a blog of a woman I knew when we were teenagers. She is recently widowed and she blogs about it. She is upfront and honest with the thoughts and emotions she is feeling. She talks openly about the struggles of being a young, widowed mother and of missing her husband. I admire how real it is, no beating around the bush. I have another friend who has had the tragic lose of her mother and sister and she also blogs about her grief in an no holds bar way. Hearing of others experiences and emotions in their lives seems to help you in your own life journey. You feel like you are not alone in the struggles you sometimes have in life as you hear of others who struggle and overcome, even if your struggles are not the same.

Sometimes I have deep, profound feelings(happy and not so happy) that I think are important to express, on paper, but wonder if I really should. Should I record my fears, doubts and struggles on paper? Then I read things like this book and these blogs and think how I would like my children to know the things I have gone through in life, the struggles and the triumphs, the joys and the sorrows, my thoughts, insights and feelings. I want to write so they can see me work through them and learn and in turn they can learn from my experiences. I want to look back and remember my process and journey in this life here on earth. I also want to remember those thoughts, realizations, memories and feelings. I talk to my sister a lot about how I would love have my grandma's memories of her life recorded somewhere. She has a sharp memory of her life and I love to hear her stories. I assume my children and grandchildren will feel the same way about me. You can really get to know and understand someone when you know their life experiences and their thoughts and feelings.

One of my goals for the new year is to write more, in my journal and on my blog. I may not be the most eloquent writer but I hope to be honest and insightful about my feelings and experiences in my life.