Sense

We write to make sense of our lives. I know that is just one sentence. But it is true at least for me.
I began in the summer between 8th and 9th grade to keep a journal. I kept it for years and then when I was married to John I threw it out. I didn't want him to read it for some reason.  I always wondered if anyone else read it because it had no lock but I will never know. It had some perculiar observations by me in it and it had a love story of sorts in it.
I wrote letters often to my grandparents when I was a teen ager and it continued through out my life until they died. It was good to read about their lives even if they weren't very exciting. And I know that every one loves to get mail. Throughout my life I have had many penpals, Jo Ann Kristensen Petersen to name just one.  
I wote out lesson plans for 37 years every Sunday and in the end years I had to include two types, one for the plan check and one for me. I loved the days when I could write Testin in my plan book because you didn't have to write any plans just time for breaks and reviews and fun things like recess. It is great not having to write out what I am doing at 8:45 every day any more, but I sort of miss it. Not enough to get on board with teaching any more though.
Do you think better with a pencil and paper or with a type writer? I am a pencil and paper kind of person. If I can't think of a thing to say I get that paper out and the thoughts flow.
In the last Bible study I did, Believe God, one of the activities was to make a time line of your life and divide it into fifths then write about how God was in each of those 5ths. I still haven't finished mine. But I will. That type of writing really made me try to make sense of my life.
Writing is good. It leads to reflection and reflection is good. It makes you stronger, sort of like exercise.