One Line a Day
Friday, November 26, 2010 Every day is a gift.
I'm trying my best to remember that. To live that.
I've always loved the idea of a short diary -- not a journal filled with long entries, mind you -- but a diary, a book where you keep a straightforward record of your days, every day.
I became enamored with the idea in 2006 after reading about Florence Wolfson's five year diary. The romantic story (Abandoned steamer trunks! Silk kimonos! Mystery!) has always tugged at me -- Florence lived a life that is both remarkable and ordinary, yet her diary is a magnificent record of the times she lived in.
Two years later, I was reminded of how simple it is to keep a diary by Gretchen Rubin in her Happiness Project blog. And still, I didn't start one.
But that all changed this week.
I found this Memory Book on Amazon while looking for other things. As soon as I saw what it was, I ordered one. I'm pretty sure I bought the last one.
And I started writing.
It's not intimidating to write in at all. So I do it. And I hope to fill it in faithfully, every day, no matter what. On the boring days and on the exciting ones. And I will finish it on November 23, 2014.
For now, it sits on my nightstand waiting for me to write down the minutiae of my days.
Life
Reader Comments (4)
I love this idea! A journal where you can look back & see five years of entries all on one page! No more leafing through multiple notebooks!
I've kept a journal on & off for decades, but with the invasion of children I have simplified my version of journaling to three simple daily questions...
What am I thankful for?
What do I REALLY want? (This can be big or small, deep or superficial, short or long term.)
What was the happiest moment of my day.
It's generally quick & easy, thus making it easy to keep up with.
My husband's grandfather had a journal just like this one; it spanned the years 1940-1944 (or somewhere around there). There was something both profound and also dismissive about his two and three sentence descriptions for each day. Our favorite: Dec 7, 1941: "JAPS BOMB PEARL HARBOR! Smooched with Mary for an hour."
I love your story! Thanks so much for sharing!
Great idea! I might steal it!