The Journey Journal

Pregnancy and weddings have a couple of things in common. Well, for starters, they are flippen expensive. But that aside, I love the excitement of a new season and the expectancy of a new change on the horizon! And also, isn’t it amazing how you plan the “big day” for a couple of months and you literally sneeze and all those precious moments are finished. It is with this in mind that I started a journal while I was pregnant with our Curly. In fact, I began documenting every, single moment from the minute I found out I was pregnant. (spreadsheet brain, remember?).

I used it as a diary of sorts, to jot down my gynae visit dates and lists of things I would need to do as we began prepping for her arrival. I also wrote down my thoughts and daydreams, including photos, little stories, keepsakes that was special to me during this time. Before I knew it, the journal was filled with pages and pages of my heart, hopes and dreams, for my girl and a bunch of stuff, like advice and life lessons, that I would want to pass on to her one day. I plan to give the journal to her when she is 18 or 21 or on her wedding day, or something.

I recently had this revelation about her JOURNAL being a part of her JOURNEY. That’s what life is all about though, right? It’s all about the journey… the road you choose to take… the decisions you make, the memories you collect and the life lessons you learn and grow from! I want my girl to know that the journey of her life started when she was but a seed in my belly and that she was loved even then! I want her to know that God knew her name before she was in my womb and that she has purpose and every part of her life is special!

Working with youngsters has shown me that there are so many who go through life believing that they are not as important as so-and-so OR not as pretty OR not as talented etc. The truth is that there are a lot of kids, out there, who simply lack the affection and love of a parent. We can blame it on social media or the Kardashians or heavy metal music but we really only have ourselves to blame. There is a lot more emphasis on living life a certain way and a lot less emphasis on the basics… quality time spent, words of affirmation, guidance and loyalty. We are rearing our kids in a hardhearted society where you get told that you have to be a certain way, in order to be deserving of love.

So yes, part of the reason why I started the journal was to share all these overlooked truths with her: You are enough. You are loved. You are perfect, just the way you are. But also, other significant things like the importance of being kind, loving those that other’s would deem ‘unlovable’ and acknowledging that every, single life is valuable and precious.

Ah if only more children could experience the kind of love that would help them to love themselves and OTHERS! What would our future look like, then? It is my prayer that my girl will grow into the kind of woman who knows what she wants and where she is going to! I want her to be a light in dark places and be a difference maker in her sphere of influence! I am so thankful that she is a part of my journey and so grateful to be a part of hers.

Mom, what sort of keepsakes and memorabilia have you set aside for your children?