Posted Aug. 25, 2024
I Forgot About That
“I have said that many times when talking about the early days of my kids growing up.”
Life is slipping by, often out of our grasp. We lived it, but have we captured it? Maybe
it wasn’t worth capturing, but that’s another story.
It’s a new school year, a marker in our life. The end of summer run-around and the
beginning of a beautiful fall. How about starting a new passion? Try to capture the
moments of your life before they flee away. Grab a pen and let’s go after them. As the
day winds down, a quiet time helps your body slow and prepare for sleep. Turn off the
mindless screens and take the time to reflect on your day. Start a journal. Grab a booklet
that has no lines. Don’t use a computer. Your eyes need a rest from screens.
You will need two writing instruments, a good ball point pen and an old-fashioned
pencil that will make a clear line or maybe even a drawing pencil. You probably don’t
even own a pencil sharpener anymore, so grab a simple, pocket-size sharpener. The
ball point is important because if your paper gets wet, the ink won’t run or smear.
Here we go....
Print, it’s faster than script. Write whatever is flowing into your mind. Don’t
worry about the organization, spelling or punctuation. You are capturing your thoughts.
In the quiet stillness before bed, start thinking about the day. The schedule doesn’t
matter. We are not making a list of what happened. We are going to reflect on what
moved us, the funny things we all laughed at, what made us sad or angry. What insights
happened? We are going to reflect on what moved us? Did my child do something profound
or disturbing? Why do I think that happened? How did it change my expectations,
understanding or direction?
We’re pushing ourselves deeper to explore how life is moving us, how the subtle
changes in our families are developing. How am I changing and reacting? What interaction
did I have with my partner? Did it help us grow closer or farther? This is where you
can start actually seeing the story of your life unfold. Don’t spend much time looking
back at what you already wrote, focus on the now. Write down those emotions – put them
in your journal, so you don’t have to carry them around in your head.
“Can’t I just use the pictures on my phone as a journal of my life?” Does your
phone reflect your thoughts and feelings? Pictures on your phone helps, but it is not a
substitute for a real journal. Stopping long enough to write your thoughts helps you to
examine your life and where it is going.
Don’t force yourself to write everyday, especially if you’re exhausted. This is to
help you stay focused, not become another chore. Your head needs a fresh slate each day,
not a basket of burdens from previous days. Writing today’s journey down helps you let
go and start fresh the next day.
“What about the pencil?” Sometimes words don’t work. Try sketching.
It will probably feel awkward or silly at first, but as you sketch more
and more, it will force you to really look at the world. That’s the real
goal. We look, but don’t see. When you sketch, you really have to look.
How many petals does that flower have? How are they arranged with each
other? Are they identical or varying? What you sketch doesn’t matter.
Maybe it’s a landscape, or the look on your child’s face. Maybe you’re
drawing from your imagination.
This is your treasure box to store the memories that are important
and the dreams of what you want to see. Write down your goals, short and
long term. But don’t write them as instructions or steps, write the values
you are trying to move towards in your life and how this idea will move you
one step closer. If you get too focused on specifics, it pushes out the
unexpected, which may be even better than what you were thinking.
This isn’t a race. Life isn’t about money, popularity or achievements.
Life is about learning to love more deeply. Am I doing that? How did I grow
in my giving of love today? How have I gone beyond me? Have I quieted myself
down enough for God to give me insights? This is the most important part of
writing a journal. God needs you to slow down, reflect and ponder. That’s
the time he will quietly inject His love and guidance into your life.
If this article seems familiar, it is. I wrote this a year ago almost
to the day. But this idea I believe is worth repeating; plus many new families
are now on our mailing list. Please consider journaling as a central pillar in
your life journey. It hopefully will also inspire your kids to also start
writing about their journey.
It’s Fun Being a Kid Again!
Let’s have some fun at Discovery Park!
That’s what good play is all about.
No directions, nobody telling you that “you can’t do it that way”.
It’s pure discovery!
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