A Written Journal, Not a Typed Journal By: Bronwyn Warnock

My family is the biggest part of my life – they not only stabilize me, but complete me. I have three siblings, and my youngest sibling is my tiny, teeny two year old sister. For the past few months, I have been writing in a journal that I plan to give to my sister when she turns my age. While I know that I am not the best at keeping a daily diary, I try to write on important days or write when I know I have something to share: whether it be a life lesson or just an update on what’s going on from day to day.

I feel like the year of 2020 has been off to a rough start – from the horrific wildfires to the tragic passing of legends. With each journal entry, I try to reflect on all aspects of my life from the “small” parts like what made me smile that day to the large parts like the joys of getting into a college and beginning to plan my future. My dad once told me to never wish a day away – don’t live life waiting for the weekend or that special day next month – but enjoy each moment because we never know which day will be our last. Life is full of moments and in our fast-paced, technological society we often take our moments granted. By taking this the time to journal for my sister, I have come to be more appreciative of my everyday life. Over time, I have noticed how I start to rely less on my phone (as many people nowadays have their phone glued to their hand). By replacing my phone with a pen, I am able to reflect and live in the moment (as cliche as that may sound) instead of trying to enjoy life through a screen.

Science says that if we type notes in class we don’t often remember them quite as much as we remember our own hand-written notes. Small changes that turn our society away from technology can have profound impacts on daily mood to just plain, overall happiness to wake up each day. Instead of typing on your phone today – go talk to your friend. Or instead of typing your thoughts – go start a daily gratitude journal. Or if you’re like me, start a journal to your sister. 😉

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