Why We Have to Write
Posted: June 3, 2020 | By: Stacy Croninger
I have a friend who is going through a hard thing right now. She is expecting a baby and had some bad news from the doctor and now she is battling for her unborn baby life. She wrote something on a blog that I was inspired by this morning that caused me to reflect that her writing passed along hope to me and probably many others. She said that she writes in the blog to give people a window into how she is processing all that she is going through.
It got me thinking about why we write anything.
I too once was fighting for my son’s life when he was six and sitting in a room in the Seattle Children’s cancer care unit. I found writing in my journal (or sometimes any scrap of paper I could find around the hospital room) helped me process what was going on. That hospital room was a scary, lonely place but I think writing helped me feel more connected somehow, less alone, somehow braver and more in control of my seemingly dire situation. Maybe what I wrote during that difficult time will help someone find hope or maybe it was just for me to find the hope I needed at that time.
Children use drawings and writing to process things too. My son wrote this book when he was in the hospital. It really was a window into what her was feeling.
I find I write mostly when life is hard or when I am grateful and I want to celebrate something in life. I think I write for myself mostly, but also I think someday my children or grandchildren could be reading it and I imagine it will give them a window into how I processed life. Maybe they can learn from my thoughts on the ups and downs of my life experience.
We also write to remember that which matters most to us. Recently my husband and I celebrated an anniversary that is special to us. Normally we would go on a weekend get away. With the situation in the world right now this was the first anniversary we were not able to take a little trip. In fact we couldn’t even go out to eat or to a movie. It was so strange. Instead on this anniversary I spent a lot of time just thinking of our first date. I was amazed how many details were fuzzy 32 years later. I decided to sit down and just write down the memories I could recall before they faded even more.
I write to cling to memories that I want to never forget. I keep a little notebook or journal for each of my four children and when things happen in their lives I jot down a few notes and thoughts about it. Things like when they learn to read or ride a bike. Things like first days of school and first dates. Whenever I look back on what I have written in these journals I smile and I feel so glad I took the time to write because I know could have never remembered the details.
I have something I need to write for my daughter today in fact. She is heading out into the world to do something wonderful and I will record it and write my thoughts about it for her to someday read and know how very proud I am for her courage and good choices.
Do you think we write to help us feel we were actually here on this planet at this time? That if we didn’t write something it would all just go by and be forgotten?
I write and I don’t really know why but I am glad for all that I have written. I agree with my friend. I think we simply write to give people (or just ourselves) a window into how we are processing all that we are going through.
It’s not hard to write. Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher simply put it this way: “If you wish to be a writer, write.” It really is that simple. The hardest part is just taking the time to do it. I find I just take a few minutes before bed to scribble down my thoughts.
And as William Wordsworth said,
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”
Youngevity photo brands gives you a place to publish your writing. I love the photo journals. I love taking the memories from my journals and putting them into my family year books with the many photos that I take. The creativity is endless. See this template from Heritage Makers for example. Just search the template gallery to get lots of inspiring ideas.
My Life Story template: 144168 by Lisa Evans
11.5 x 8.5 Storybook
Cherish life stories with this template, ready for telling the life story of a loved one, or of your own story.
– Candi May, Brand Champion for Heritage Makers
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