My mom is an amazing writer. Having the opportunity to grow up around this lovely writing talent, I often saw her writing in journals, taking notes in books she was reading, and annotating and critiquing our English papers. One of my most prized possessions however was not toys or jewelery – but journals. Each time she gave birth, my mother had a journal that she bought for each of us in which there were a series of letters written. Throughout our childhood, she’d read to us from the journals on occasion which always recorded funny sayings, happenings in our lives and on advice from an amazing mother. As a teenager my mom gave me one of the best gifts ever, a journal that all the women in my family had written in. Both grandmothers, 10 aunts, cousins, youth leaders, neighbors – all bearing the things of their souls. To this day, I pull out that journal on days that don’t go so well and read advice from people important to me who continue to inspire through their words. Then I get on with life.
Although my mom has yet to write the great american novel, she has succeeded to instill a love for journaling in our family. I feel I already have the great american novel through my journals she’s filled for me. As a continuation of the tradition she started, each one of my kids has their own journals that I write in.
I’ve been looking for a good one for Charlie since he was born and came across Karleigh Jae’s Etsy shop, and ironically had hearted the yellow journal shown above MONTHS ago! I just had to get them as Charlie needed a journal, and Dave’s journal has finally reached it’s last few pages. Yeah for beautiful books, thanks Karleigh Jae I can’t wait to get started writing in them.
