Journals

A friend of mine just received her mother's journals and has spent the past several days reading them. I asked her if she read anything interesting and she said her mom only wrote about which garage sale they went to and which restaurant they ate in. Rarely there would be an entry about someone coming to visit.

My mother, like me, has used her journals as a way of saying what she couldn't say to others; a way of working out problems and frustrations especially when dealing with others. My mother told me recently that she has burned many of those writings as she didn't want her kids to read them 'when she's gone'.

I respect her decision. They are her writings after all, and maybe I just don't want to read about how I disappointed her when, or how I made her angry. On the other hand, I'm hoping there may have been good writings and memories that are now gone - although I tend to write only when I'm upset so if you picked up my diary/journal I'm sure you'd think I was miserable and hated everyone always - and perhaps she wrote that way as well.

Some people use their journals for ideas - for writing or creating with little sketches and swatches and all sorts of things. Some use it to keep track of their lives.

I'm curious, do you keep a journal or diary and how do you use it?