Notebooks

  I truly believe in keeping notebooks as Didion did, not so much to keep in touch but to keep as reminders of that precise moment. I feel they are a way of keeping your own history not only for yourself but to share with those who will come after you.
   When I was much younger, I began a notebook as a way to share my experiences and feelings with my first child due to some hard issues. I wanted my child to understand why I made some of the decisions I had and to clarify these affects on their life.  This would give me more than my memory to use as a tool. It gave me more than word-of-mouth to rely on for their questions that were sure to come in the future.
    With the news of each new pregnancy, I began that child's own notebook. In these I would add all sorts of information such as the prices of things, the happenings of the rest of the family, what they were up to, their hurts and praises, their ups and downs, their dreams and their disappointments. Just yesterday I was honored to write about my newest grand baby (yes I keep a notebook on my grand babies, too) and all the minutes leading up to, during, and after his birth.
    Notebooks do not necessarily have to come in paper form. The social media tools of today enable people to share nearly anything that can be photographed, written, sung, drawn, and so many other forms of keeping in touch and informed or sharing a persons individual life. Blogging certainly comes in to play with keeping a notebook as so many have a desire to share their lives, to be heard, to stand apart. People have always wanted to share their ideas throughout history, and social media gives instant gratification today like never before.
    Some day my family will sit down to read the things I have written and hopefully be able to see just how special they were, to see how they have made an impact in others lives, and to see how they came to be the wonderful people they now are.