You DO get a grade for supporting your daughter's thesis: A+ for showing up for her in person and in prayer. Parenting adult children is hard and you're doing great work. I've never used a journal of this type, but my life seems to be going through seismic shifts and I wonder if now's the time to document it. Now to search for a spiral bound version...
Thanks friend, you get high marks for being a supportive friend alongside the journey!
Do you like spiral-bound because your left-handed and you want it to lay flat? I will say that the one I have does lay flat. It's little pricier than some of the others but I really like it. I'll be curious to see what you find. I do think it would be rather fascinating to start tracking from where you're situated at the moment!❤️
I have transcribed my journals (starting in 1964) into daily stacks and posted them on Substack. It’s giving me a whole new perspective on my last sixty years.
I popped over to your Substack and read an entry, what a fascinating project you've taken on. I love what you said here on your about page and feel like it fits well to my post: "When I look back through the lens of a single day, I see patterns I never noticed. Growth. Repetition. Echoes. Time becomes a spiral instead of a line."
I've almost completed my first five-year journal. Well, I say "completed," but the truth is there were many nights I didn't record anything because I was too tired or busy or whatever. Like you, though, I've found it remarkable to compare my current days to what was going on a year or more ago. I definitely would have forgotten the many mundane experiences ... it's now so fun to look back at even the most ordinary little life details, and I'm sure those will become more precious in future years. Funny side note ... my husband, who has never kept a journal, has been very grateful for those same little life stories that he also would have forgotten if I hadn't written them down. I'm the family archivist!
Oh, I love hearing about it from someone who's almost done! Yes, I can see how it's a way of becoming the family historian. I've been sending out little texts to my kids like, "Last year on this day is when you and I went on our trip together."
Will you start another one when you're done? I'm so curious if I will when I finish this one.
Yes, definitely going to start another one! I also keep a "regular" journal, but this type offers something different ... maybe more history/record, less emotion/drama?
I'm always fascinated with how other people use their journals and notebooks! I'm on my third 5-year journal now (year 12!) and it is always a joy to look back, to see how I've grown, how our family has grown, how our struggles have changed (or not). I love that you added a visual element with a photo printer, and I'm tempted to do the same! It's great that you got your daughter started too, I wish I had started sooner!
Wow, your third one! I didn't even know they existed until a few years ago. I'm inspired by you!
I have to say that I do love adding the photos. I didn't want to include photos of my family in this post but in my journal I have photo stickers that capture a recent trip to the zoo with my adult kids and a weekend away with my husband, etc. I think it's going to be really fun to be able to flip through and at a glance have a sense of what was going on at the time.
Starting and keeping up with my 5 year journal has been one of my delights this year! I’m really excited to read through the entries in the future. Somehow, for me, as long as I have a sensory detail written from a moment or a day, it will come back so clearly!
If I’m a bit behind, usually a quick glance at my camera roll or calendar will help fill in the blanks. I’ve also been quoting the cute stuff our kid says as he learns to speak more. I’m excited to look back on his progress, too! (He’s autistic and minimally speaking.)
Love this, Erika. Looking back at the camera roll is a great idea to fill in blanks. And what a fun way to record and celebrate his progress with speech! Love finding out that there are other five-year journal fans out there...
You DO get a grade for supporting your daughter's thesis: A+ for showing up for her in person and in prayer. Parenting adult children is hard and you're doing great work. I've never used a journal of this type, but my life seems to be going through seismic shifts and I wonder if now's the time to document it. Now to search for a spiral bound version...
Thanks friend, you get high marks for being a supportive friend alongside the journey!
Do you like spiral-bound because your left-handed and you want it to lay flat? I will say that the one I have does lay flat. It's little pricier than some of the others but I really like it. I'll be curious to see what you find. I do think it would be rather fascinating to start tracking from where you're situated at the moment!❤️
I have transcribed my journals (starting in 1964) into daily stacks and posted them on Substack. It’s giving me a whole new perspective on my last sixty years.
I popped over to your Substack and read an entry, what a fascinating project you've taken on. I love what you said here on your about page and feel like it fits well to my post: "When I look back through the lens of a single day, I see patterns I never noticed. Growth. Repetition. Echoes. Time becomes a spiral instead of a line."
I've almost completed my first five-year journal. Well, I say "completed," but the truth is there were many nights I didn't record anything because I was too tired or busy or whatever. Like you, though, I've found it remarkable to compare my current days to what was going on a year or more ago. I definitely would have forgotten the many mundane experiences ... it's now so fun to look back at even the most ordinary little life details, and I'm sure those will become more precious in future years. Funny side note ... my husband, who has never kept a journal, has been very grateful for those same little life stories that he also would have forgotten if I hadn't written them down. I'm the family archivist!
Oh, I love hearing about it from someone who's almost done! Yes, I can see how it's a way of becoming the family historian. I've been sending out little texts to my kids like, "Last year on this day is when you and I went on our trip together."
Will you start another one when you're done? I'm so curious if I will when I finish this one.
Yes, definitely going to start another one! I also keep a "regular" journal, but this type offers something different ... maybe more history/record, less emotion/drama?
I'm always fascinated with how other people use their journals and notebooks! I'm on my third 5-year journal now (year 12!) and it is always a joy to look back, to see how I've grown, how our family has grown, how our struggles have changed (or not). I love that you added a visual element with a photo printer, and I'm tempted to do the same! It's great that you got your daughter started too, I wish I had started sooner!
Wow, your third one! I didn't even know they existed until a few years ago. I'm inspired by you!
I have to say that I do love adding the photos. I didn't want to include photos of my family in this post but in my journal I have photo stickers that capture a recent trip to the zoo with my adult kids and a weekend away with my husband, etc. I think it's going to be really fun to be able to flip through and at a glance have a sense of what was going on at the time.
You may have just convinced me to get one of those printers!
Starting and keeping up with my 5 year journal has been one of my delights this year! I’m really excited to read through the entries in the future. Somehow, for me, as long as I have a sensory detail written from a moment or a day, it will come back so clearly!
If I’m a bit behind, usually a quick glance at my camera roll or calendar will help fill in the blanks. I’ve also been quoting the cute stuff our kid says as he learns to speak more. I’m excited to look back on his progress, too! (He’s autistic and minimally speaking.)
Love this, Erika. Looking back at the camera roll is a great idea to fill in blanks. And what a fun way to record and celebrate his progress with speech! Love finding out that there are other five-year journal fans out there...