My Corner Online

 

The Fun Extras - Set Ten

181. Get those stories out of you! Go journal!

 

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
~ Maya Angelou

This quote really hit home with me.

It makes me recall of how journaling can be so powerful. When we were young, our teachers encouraged us to keep a diary, just to get those stories out of us. They knew the importance of journaling for teenagers.

How many times have I held my thoughts and feelings inside just to allow them to roll around in my head over and over causing me stress and agony? It only causes worry too.

Sometimes, just typing an e-mail to someone helps me feel better. Have you ever experienced that?

Sometimes I type that e-mail to a friend and then choose not to hit the send button because just getting it out of me and voicing it helps. Have you ever done that?

However, what more does this quote hold for us digital scrapbookers?

I am an advocate for putting lots of journaling on scrapbooking pages and this is one reason why.

I have often said that scrapping can be good therapy. When I scrap layouts of my Dad who has passed away two years ago and journal, I get the agony out. When I scrap my layouts of my prayers for my sons, I get my worries for them out. When I was stuck for four hours with a flat tire and scrapped that memory, it got out my frustrations.

Do you scrap the bad as well as the good? When your children's children look back on your scrapbooking pages, will they see a facade? Will it be a covering of all the good things in your life or will it include the struggles as well? Will they get to read the complete you? Will you be allowing them to know all of you?

I want to encourage you to make it a goal to journal on every single layout. If you cannot remember what happened in the photos or were not present at the time of an old photo, then journal about what you see, how it makes you feel, and what you note that is special in the photos. It is okay to journal, "I wonder if...." or "it makes me think of..." or "it makes me feel..." on your layout.

Journal not only to leave a treasure for your ancestors, but to share the stories rather than bearing an untold story inside of you that will die with you. Journal not only for them, but for you as you relieve the burden of bearing an untold story inside of you.

Just journal!

I hope you enjoyed my writings, ramblings, tutorials, freebies, and fun stuff. Hurry back!

7/18/2007