Home
>
Writing
>
Keeping a Love Journal

Keeping a Love Journal

Do you love someone very deeply? A spouse, son, daughter, or maybe a group of people. February 14 is Valentine???s Day. This unofficial holiday is a day card companies started to increase their business and has evolved into more over the years. It is a day of reflection, a day to show someone else you care, a day to see the love we have for ourselves as well.

A separate journal devoted strictly to people, places and things, that you love, may seem like a waste of space at first. Why not just toss it in our regular journal. You might be thinking, "How can I fill up a whole book?" I shared this sentiment for years. After making the choice, one pre-Valentine day ten years ago in a bookstore, it became easy. A richer life began emerging because of it over time.

As all things, it begins by purchasing a journal for that specific purpose. This is the perfect time of the year to buy that such journal. Book and gift stores provide a stack of choices this time of year. When I sat down and opened my new love journal, the cover, with its typical red cover and hearts, changed my voice but the pages were still stark white. For days, I sat staring at those blank pages every evening and occasionally a few mornings. This was a strange sensation since it???s harder for me to end than to begin.

My original thought, why I purchased this teenage-like journal, was to honor my mother???s memories. She passed, at the time ten years earlier, and our memories were waning. Many times it took pictures to see her face again. Here are some ways that I learned over the years to fill my love journals. What once started with a cautionary purchase turned into a regular yearly purchase. Of course, this time of year because of the wide selection in the stores.

Let Me Count the Ways

Lists are a great way to begin when the sentences or thought seems vague. Lists suggest expansiveness and release the pressure of saying it just right. Focus on one person and make a list of a particular moment. It doesn't matter whether it is recent or somewhere in the past. Memory triggering is a trained skill and takes practice.

Love Letters

"Love letters fulfill a need to confide, to testify and to articulate what is ordinarily left unspoken," says Cathy Davidson in, "The Book of Love: Writers and Their Love Letters." Expressing your love, whether shared or not, fulfills an internal need, a desire of a deep connection. Whether the love is only one way, a fantasy, or just a dream. Memorable writing, whether it is a list, letter, poem, story or essay, comes deeply from the soul of the writer. It is their way of having their say.

Writing a love letter doesn't always need to be to or about someone else. When we are working on our self-esteem and self-worth, it is important to write love letters to us. This may seem selfish or uncomfortable at the start but the experience blossoms into a deeper learning about who we are, what we want, what we need, and what we can give. For those of us who have difficulty knowing our own needs or putting our health first, writing love letters can be a valuable bridge that expands into a deeper understanding and knowledge about us or about our path.

Possible Memorable Items to Include

Here are a few items that can help expand your love writing.. Of course, these items will transition with your intention, style, and voice.

1. Start by acknowledging the event. The place, day and time.

2. What was your emotional state at the time? Did you feel sad, say so. Angry, shocked, or confused, say so. Even love letters and journals have more than one emotion. Were you grieving at the time?

3. Describe any qualities -- physical, emotional, professional or social. Tell what you admired about them (or yourself). Is there something you miss? Are they or were they a great teacher, storyteller, devoted father, mother, aunt, uncle?

4. Remember the little things. The small stuff does count. Was there a particular smell you remember? What were they wearing, or not.

5. Have you had this experience before. If so, when? How are they different? How are they the same?

6. Did a book, quote, musical piece, photograph, or song lyrics provide comfort or expand the experience?

7. Who else was involved? Did they build with the experience or take from it?

8. What makes this love different? Or the same? And if the same, the same to what?

9. Was this an everyday event that turned extraordinary? Why?

Whether a love letter is your intention or to begin with a list, don't forget to love yourself and to add yourself to the menu of a love-writing experience. Most of the time we look for love in other places when it truly needs to be recognized from within first. Take the time, find the magic you hold inside you, find the love that you hold for relationships, for what you have accomplished, or desire to accomplish, or what type of love affair you want to have with the world while you are still in it.

Love is a gift, whether presented only in a journal or expanded into something wrapped and bowed. The expense is only that of pen and paper but its cost is time and thought. Place love on your calendar this week. It is as much a gift to you as it is for everyone else in your life, past or present.

Catherine Franz, 20 year international journaling instructor, including several US Presidents and First Ladies, and author of two booklets on hundreds of tips and techniques. Visit the store at: http://www.abundancecenter.com

Brookfield limo Midway .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Creating an email alias can help clean up your inbox by organizing emails based on purpose, like creating different aliases for shopping, newsletters and work.

A multipurpose robotic system promises to transform how items are stacked onto pallets, aiming to maximize space utilization and reduce shipping costs.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The number of people affected by a UnitedHealth data breach in February 2024 was actually higher than previously reported and was the largest medical data breach in U.S. history.

A phishing campaign uses Google Calendar to schedule fake meeting invitations that appear legitimate, redirecting targets to phishing sites.

Toll road text scam: Fake messages claim unpaid fees, seek payment via fraudulent links. Kurt â€œCyberGuy" Knutsson says this scam is becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread.

Kurt â€œCyberGuy" Knutsson says these steps ensure that your friends and family get to the exact moment you want them to see. Try it out and streamline your sharing experience.

Tech expert Kurt â€œCyberGuy" Knutsson offers tips on how to protect your identity: Be vigilant, monitor accounts, use smart security, know theft response.

Tech expert Kurt â€œCyberGuy" Knutsson says cybercriminals are exploiting iMessage phishing protection, tricking users to reactivate links.

It's hard to imagine life without in-flight Wi-Fi these days â€“ but sky-high web surfing comes with its own set of privacy concerns. Here's how to protect yourself.

Over 400,000 cases of credit card fraud were reported in 2024 to the Federal Trade Commission. The CyberGuy explains how to protect against becoming another victim.

A nondescript metal box transforms into a fully functional electric motorcycle that blurs the line between vehicle and urban infrastructure.

Many apps unrelated to location still ask users for tracking permission, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit seeking to end this alleged practice by Allstate.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Melody, the artificial intelligence-powered robot, is life-sized and represents a move toward creating robots that resemble people in appearance and interaction.

Here are five easy smartphone rules from the National Security Agency that you can follow to better protect your mobile device from hackers and scammers.

A U.S. robotics company has developed "Jennie," a robotic pet powered by artificial intelligence that's designed to comfort those facing mental health challenges.

Healthcare records for more than 184 million Americans were breached in 2024, but you can take steps to minimize that risk. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

The Skyrider X1 from Rictor claims to be the "first amphibious flying passenger motorcycle," and it combines land and air travel in one sleek design.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Home inventory and restoration apps help itemize and track every item in your home in the event you have to make an insurance claim after a natural disaster.

The White House launched a new cybersecurity safety label, the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, intended to help consumers make informed decisions on smart device safety.

Today's tech can help make life so much easier â€” if you know how to use it. Here are a few tips on the quickest and best ways to make your phone, laptop and other devices work for you.

Tech expert Kurt â€œCyberGuy" Knutsson offers Windows 11 restart fixes: Update drivers, run system scans and check hardware.

Sony and Honda's Afeela 1 EV launches with advanced tech and entertainment for $89,900. Tech expert Kurt â€œCyberGuy" Knutsson gives his takeaways.