Since I was a little girl, I loved having a diary. I looked forward to coming home and writing about my day, and the good and bad things that happened. I liked writing about my crushes at the time and things that made me happy or sad. It was my release and my therapy. It was time that I was able to spend with myself and reflect.

As I have gotten older, this is a hobby that I have continued to indulge in. To this day, I still love putting my thoughts and my memories down on paper. Unfortunately, with the busy lifestyle that comes with being a college student, I don't get to journal every day like I would want to, but I still do it quite often. Right now, I have five journals that are full of thoughts, memories, Bible verses, and notes that I have taken in Bible studies and my own quiet time with the Lord. All of these journals are important to me, but there is one whose importance outweighs the others.

Christmas time is a time that I think about my dad a lot. His birthday is around this time and of course, Christmas time, in general, is a hard time without him. I was sitting and trying to remember certain details of his funeral, and the days after his death, and I was having a hard time remembering those certain details. I then remembered about one of my journals that I had written in during that time. I opened it up and began to read the pages and sure enough, all of the details I was trying to remember were there.

I remember why I wrote in this journal. It was given to me by a dear friend after he died and she told me to write my thoughts and feelings in it. I wanted to write about everything. Every detail, every moment, every memory and feeling that I had, so in years to come, I could remember all of those things and almost go back in time. This is why journaling is so important.

So in years to come, we can look back on those times in our lives and see what was happening and see our growth. Not only can we look back on those memories, but our family members in the future can as well. My mom has old Bibles and journals from her great-grandmother that she sometimes reads and they are very special to her. They are special because she can go to them for guidance and wisdom if she ever needs to.

The memories that we make are important. They are important and special to us, but they can also be important and special to others that read them in the future. If you don't have a journal, I encourage you to get one and start. If you already have one, never stop because it is special.