Joy in Journeling

For as long as I remember I have loved writing. Before I could spell anything I was hoarding large amounts of paper and doing what I called writing - everyone else called it scribbling. Soon I had notebooks filled with important information every three and four year old should know.
After learning letters and how to put those letters into words, my love of writing didn't diminish. I had certain notebooks for everything - pretend vet, pretend restaurant, pretend doctor, pretend princess - I did a lot of pretending and I had documents to match everything I played. Close to my 10th birthday, a dear lady from our church gave me a diary, one of those with a lock and key and a date on each page. I felt so grown up. And I faithfully wrote in it everyday, usually something to the effect of "This was the best day ever," "I'll never forget how fun today was," etc.
When we moved to South Carolina (which was at the time the worst day ever), a new friend gave me a journal and I used it to record all the awful things going on (school, missing my friends) and the amazing things (meeting new friends, choir trips). It soon became apparent to others that I loved writing and journaling and beautiful journals were a standard gift for me. Each book is still precious to me and I remember who gave me every one.
I guess journaling is kind of in my blood. When I graduated from high school, my mom gave me a little journal she had written to me from birth through the day I graduated. She did the same thing for my sister. So now I'm journaling for my little girl. I got her a special blank book and when I find time or when she does something amazing, I write a quick note to her, jotting down memories and special events she won't remember unless I record them for her.
With all the packing going on around the house, I had to box up my journals...and I think they multiplied on the shelf! Below are just a few of the journals that I have received and that now house my thoughts, Bible study notes, story ideas, and anything else that needs to be written down. Do you journal?

A stack of my journals. The top one, from Guam sent by  BFF, Anna.

A book cover from 1880 remade into a journal, from my sister, Katie.

Another stack (and I haven't pictured all of them...)!! The end one with flowers is the first journal Anna got me. Funny story: when I opened that journal  on my birthday, it had a sweet note on the inside cover from Anna...and her prayer list on the back page. :) I guess we both love us some journals.