On Tuesday, Aug 16th, at the Relief Society get-together at the pool, Sis. Barbara Smith talked about starting our own personal histories (journals, scrapbooking, blogging, etc.) and mentioned how we each needed to get started on it in some way. Well, while there some thoughts came to me. I should have shared them right then, but perhaps letting all the sisters hear my thoughts wouldn't be so bad.
1st thought: A few years ago there was a conference talk by Pres. Henry B. Eyring about keeping a personal history. He had mentioned how grateful he was for his father-in-law who had come and helped him complete some work that needed to be done. As we was reflecting on gratitude, the spirit gave him a very distinct impression that these experiences weren't just for him alone, they were for him to share with others by keeping a record. He then committed to writing in his journal every night, even if he was tired and in a hurry to get to bed, he would at least open it up to say that "Today was a good day". Some entries were more detailed, while some were just quick snatches. Later he gave copies of his journal to each of his children, so that they could read it and gain from his experiences also, as well as learn about their father. He challenged each of us to keep a personal record about our lives, our testimonies, our gratitude to the Lord.
After hearing this talk I had decided to make this commitment. I wouldn't go to bed without writing in my journal....sometimes the pen would slide down the page leaving little "bee" marks as I started dozing off. I wasn't sure if I was crazy sacrificing some sleep to keep up this commitment and if it would do any good or not, but I did it anyway. I tried to have the mindset that this would be for my posterity someday, and that always helped, I also started sharing more spiritual experiences, as well as bearing my testimony more, knowing that I wanted my descendants to know that I KNEW the Gospel was true. Anyway, occasionally I would go back and look through my journal. It was amazing!!! Not only are the journals for our posterity to learn about and from us, but they are also for us. I found experiences I had forgotten about, and feelings that I forgot about. Sometimes reading my own testimony would add a surge of strength when I got down-hearted. I could go back and look up a specific date, like when my husband and I were dating, to see how I felt about things, or events that we did. I couldn't believe how much I had forgotten!! We really do need reminders! If you don't record it, you really do lose it. I have discovered that all too often as I try to remember things that my son has done...when he got his first tooth, when he did something for the first time, and things like that. I have fallen behind in my commitment having a toddler to look after, and I regret it! Kids grow so fast and it is so hard to remember everything! Pres. Kimball also mentioned that to show our gratitude to the Lord for something we should write it down, record what happened and our feelings. Not only does it show our gratitude, but it will help us remember it. I am trying to recommit myself, and challenge all of you to commit yourself to writing in your journals too. Everyday is best, but if you have trouble with that, you can start with once a week. It is a great activity to do on a Sunday! Whether you type it, or write it, we need to keep a journal for ourselves, our posterity, and the Lord.
Thought #2: As I was thinking about recommitting myself to my own journaling efforts, I thought about my son and future children. Yes, I mention them in my journal, some of the little things they do and say. I am even trying to put together a scrapbook of some of these things (I am behind in that too, scrapbooking can be time consuming!). However, even though I mention how they are growing in my journal or on the family blog, another thought struck me. How many times to we ask our parents to tell us stories about when we were young? Didn't we hunger for tales of how we did things, or funny phrases we said or did...especially when they bring up a story of another sibling, don't we want to hear what we did at the same age? Were you ever disappointed when they couldn't remember some of the things we did or said? Well....................the thought came to me, "What if I can give my children a journal specifically written for them?" I decided I wanted to try to keep a journal of sorts for each child. Whenever they do something really funny or cute, I could jot it down (Perhaps write a note about it on the calendar and then record it later that day when I can sit down and write it). If they ever did something, like stand up for what they knew to be right I could make a special entry of how proud of them I was that day. It's something I would like to write as they grow and then present to them when they are ready to face the world on their own. It would be a collection of stories, insights, and thoughts about them. It is something that they can treasure, and if they are ever feeling down they can read through it and know how much I loved them and how highly I thought of them, that I believed in their abilities, etc. It could be a comfort, strength, and a self-esteem booster. It would be kind of like looking through their mother's eyes, so that they will know how we saw them. The youth today will need all the encouragement they can get to stand up for what is right, and to know of their self-worth as the world tries to batter them down with peer pressure and inferiority. What a great gift we can give our children!
It can either be written by hand, or on computer. My husband showed me how to use Google documents (https://docs.google.com) It is a web-based writing document (like Microsoft word), but you can save it online. So you can even type it in your normal document writing software, and then save a backup online so that even if your computer crashes, you still have your journal. It is free. Anyway, I can also allow my husband to edit the page too, so that he can add his thoughts/stories to the journal for our children. Pretty cool!
I know that several of the Relief Society sisters have children that are already grown, and it is too late to do something like this, but it is never too late to write a letter to your children, reflecting on some of your favorite memories about them, and letting them know how special they are and how much you love them.
Well, there you have it, those are the thoughts that I had, that I felt like I needed to share. Maybe it can give someone an idea.
Love you all,
Veralyn Jensen
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