Dear Diary

We've all heard the cliche "dear diary" and then what follows is some stupid thing that happened between you and your best friend that day. I will confess two things: I do start off my entries with "dear diary" and sometimes I do have something stupid that follows it. BUT I believe that there are benefits to diary writing and I want to convince you of them.

I decided to do this post today because last night was the 100th night in a row that I've written in my diary. When I first started, it was a challenge sometimes to remember to write in it. Now it's become my nightly habit and it's really helped me unwind from everything that's happened that day. So that's the first benefit: it helps you unwind. I know I'm a writer, and that probably makes writing more meaningful to me, but I'm pretty sure that writing out your thoughts helps you process them better. Sometimes trying to put what you're feeling on paper can feel like trying to smash through a brick wall but keep trying! It has happened to me, but I keep pushing, and eventually my feelings make themselves onto the page.

I've been keeping a diary on and off since I was 9. I don't read my old diaries very often, but when I do, sometimes I laugh and sometimes I groan. (just a tip, if you did something stupid that you regret within the last 3 years- don't read your diary from then. You have to get over it first, and that process takes longer than you think). That said, another benefit of diaries is the memories. I have gone back and read stuff from two years ago that I no longer remember, but when I read it in my diary, I laugh and get all warm inside. And another awesome thing- you can see how much you've grown. I went through a rough patch in freshman and sophomore year and I wasn't writing that much. I know I've come really far from that person, but I can't remember what it was like exactly back then and I wish I'd written about it.

I hope you'll consider starting a diary if you haven't already or writing more often in it if you already do.


~Clarissa