There is a reason why journaling is therapeutic.  The act of putting feelings into words, where they can be seen on a page, can lessen their emotional impact.  By placing them on paper, they can be viewed as something separate from oneself.  There, they can be examined more easily.

Our feelings belong to us.  We are in control of them, not the other way around.  That is, unless we let them.  The process of writing them down can be a catharsis.  I have experienced this.

Grief is a part of life that challenges every one of us at one time or another.  When one is grieving, one can feel as if things will never be good again. But that need not be true.  Things will never be the same, but goodness is there if one chooses to persevere and keep looking for the positive.

My 21 year old son died suddenly in a car accident.  I was devastated.  But I was determined to heal and find the positive things that were still true.  I had witnessed far too many people who allowed grief to keep them in a state of painful loss, making them bitter in the process.

I began to write, and the feelings flowed out of me.  I discovered all that I had to be thankful for as I wrote of happy memories of the past.  In the process I found that these good memories and the relationship we had could never be taken away from me.  I healed.

Don’t get me wrong.  It was not easy, not even close.  It took time and diligence.   But, I found that there was so much that was worthy of my gratitude.  And I have found that gratitude is truly at the heart of happiness.

Life here is fleeting.  But love never has to die.  I believe that it lives on inside of us long after our loved ones are not physically present anymore.

Writing can also help one get rid of negative feelings.  We need not carry disappointments and resentments around with us.  We can write them out of our lives if we choose to work at it.

I realize that writing will not be enough to heal some wounds.  There are many experiences that I have no clue about.  But I still think that writing can be a valuable tool for many of us.

I do not have all the answers.  I only know my own experiences.  But if one is looking for a way to feel better, this could be helpful.  If one has the will to minister to oneself , this could be the path that will lead to peace.