Keep a journal

I have been attempting to journal for the past several months, but I was still not capturing the memories that might not be available to me in a few years because of my MS. I believe I was running into problems because I was using pen and paper. My handwriting is no longer neat and my hands get numb after writing for a very short time. I would get discouraged and eventually stop trying.

Today, I started a private electronic blog that I can readily access at home or at work. I can type for longer periods of time and more accurately. After careful consideration, I came to the conclusion that my girls will understand. They would rather have the memories I capture online than the empty pages of a book. :)

...on my terms. I am still recording significant experiences, images, songs, poems, etc. I move them around from my blogs, websites, and files into common places so that they will be easier for my children to get at them if they care to once they are older. I want them to have something of these years in case this old mind of mine starts to slip into the MS and I forget important details that children always expect you to be able to recollect at the snap of their fingers. :)

So far I’m still pretty sharp, but I figure better safe than sorry.

I think I’ve found a way to keep this habit without getting bogged down. I decided to go to the journal when I feel called to it, rather than every single day, and I find that I’ll make entries at least 1-2 times a weeks without fail. If I’ve jotted things down somewhere else, I’ll print it and paste it into the journal so that I have it all on one place.

Well, I purchased a journal yesterday, and I made my first entry last night. I’m not going to stand on the formality of saying I’ll do it daily, but I’ve got to make an entry at least a couple of times a week, or I won’t really feel comfortable using it.

I write for a living, although it’s strictly technical writing nowadays. I’ve tried to do this for the past two years since I was diagnosed with MS, and it’s like my words just dried up and my feelings had nowhere to go. Wish me luck!