Journaling by Sandra Rafuse

 

When I first read January's prompt for 2026, my heart skipped a beat. "Do you journal?" it asked. I had tried journaling a few times in a notebook with a pen but I couldn't make it flow. I couldn't find a rhythm to it and I wasn't satisfied with the words I was writing. I had to admit I didn't journal.

When the January blogs started coming in, I was learning so much more about journaling than I'd ever known before: what it was, the purposes it served, the many different methods of doing it. Everyone was sharing so much information and it was all so interesting to read. . .there were so many different ideas! When Susan Barclay's blog, "Confessions of a Former Journalist" came out, I have to admit I gave a huge sigh of relief after reading she was no longer journaling. I could relate to the reasons she spoke of for deciding to stop keeping a journal. Her words made me feel that it was alright to not to be journaling at this time. Maybe another time would work and that would be good.

Then Mary Folkerts's blog "Journaling for My Heart" was published and her words opened up my eyes to possibilities I hadn't thought of. Mary said, "The recording of my life has taken the form of calendars, to-do lists, photo galleries on my phone or laptop, and writing articles. These, too, are journals." Photo galleries? They are journals? I thought of the collages I had started putting together a few years ago. And at that moment, I realized for the first time, that the collages told a story. They were memories of a special time or a special place, or a special occasion. The photo of the collage at the top of this page is the story of my brother Greg's love of old cars. He goes to antique car shows as often as he can and sometimes has someone take a picture of himself standing beside some of his favourite cars. I am sure I could have him send me several more pictures, enough to make a second collage of cars for him.

I sent a collage to my niece's daughter when she was six years old. Pictures of the day she went into the hospital to get her tonsils taken out. Pictures of the preparation for the surgery and then pictures of her recovery afterwards. A single page full of memories to look at in the years to come. And one of my favourite collages of all is the one I put together of three of my nieces, a nephew, and our two sons posing with some of fish they had caught in their younger years. Well, ok, maybe their dad had caught them and helped pull them in, but there they stood with their fish, so happy and excited and proud. Today they all have the same collage to bring out and look at and they can remember the happiness they felt! There's lots for them to talk about while looking at those pictures.

Hey! I realize, according to some of the blogs I've read so far this month, that I'm journaling! I thought I wasn't. But I am! I turn my head and I see a pile of notebooks lying in a basket beside my bookcase. I look at the titles and I remember what was written in them; famous quotes, favourite newspaper clippings; paragraphs from books that spoke to me of love and courage and danger and happiness and God and how he is always in our lives taking care of us; scriptures to stand on; lessons from some pastors' sermons, more famous quotes; etc., etc. Journals. They are journals. I thought I'd stopped working on them, but I've been writing them all along.

While I am delighted to know that there are so many different ways that we can journal, I do want to start again with notebook and pen. I'm looking forward to it.

 

Sandra Rafuse lives in the small town of Rockglen, Saskatchewan, with her husband, Bob, a Gordon Setter named Sadie, and a Peregrine falcon named Peet. She is a retired teacher and an amateur writer and is thoroughly enjoying having the opportunity to share what God is teaching her through her life experiences.