When the news of my youngest son’s death slammed into my heart on July 25, 2013, it didn’t take long before I turned to my journal for help and healing. I’ve been journaling consistently since 1983 as a way of processing in the moment what was happening in my life as well as what I was dreaming up and creating.
I began with a spiral notebook, nothing fancy, and have pretty much kept doing just that ever since. My only rule for myself was that I date my entries. I also usually only write on the right side of the journal, leaving the facing page blank for doodling and art.
My journal creates an opening where poetry can sIip through as I relax and commune with my wise higher self. It’s where I seek comfort and clarity. I captured my joy when I became a grandmother for the first time. I recorded my pain when I felt lost in a 27-year marriage maze that took me through three trial separations and finally a divorce.
Decades have passed since those first journals were filled. Someday, I’ll go back and revisit them. They are safely stored in boxes in my closet and garage. I’ve found the introspection of the journaling process brings its own value, even if I never go back and read what I wrote.
When an accident suddenly ripped away my 36-year-old son Michael’s life, I turned to writing in my journal for solace and guidance. I wanted to capture everything, especially the ways that I was feeling his presence. There were so many synchronicities and messages coming through. I found I could engage in what I call inspired communication with Michael. These very sweet clear and loving messages came to me as I asked questions of him, waited to hear his answers, and then wrote them down. Often I’ll sit quietly in meditation and then begin journaling. If I need to vent, I do so. Tears are always acceptable.
I know personally the power of journaling when it comes to grief. If you are willing to listen for your own still small voice and put pen to paper, a journal can help you through your sorrow. I’ve created a guided journaling process with beginning sentence stems and inspired quotes that will lead you into and through what I call an upward spiral of healing. I discovered this as I was blindly inching my way through my own dark tunnel of grief. All it takes is a willingness to notice what your mind is paying attention to—what thoughts keep playing—and a curious and open attitude. You don’t need anything more than a pen, a notebook, and some quiet time. You can let the journal do the rest.
You may be a seasoned “journaler” or, perhaps, it’s all new to you. Wherever you find yourself on the writing spectrum doesn’t matter. My hope is that you’ll engage in the process of journaling as an experiment and see what blessings you discover along the way. If you’d like a copy of my guide, follow this link to Amazon: From Grief to Grace…An Upward Spiral of Healing
Blessings, Robyn
PS. Contact me if you feel inclined to share your process or have questions. I can be reached by email at robyn@grieftograce.com