Throughout life I have enjoyed the simple pleasure that comes from journaling my thoughts and experiences on paper. There is something that is to be said about using analogue tools: paper and pen in personal expression. The act of writing and connecting our thoughts to paper grants a measure of peace and happiness. Yet, the digital platform allows us to share our thoughts in a way that paper does not.
As we experience the new challenges in life during this earth-wide pandemic, I believe it is as important as ever to share with others our trials and victories to draw us closer together. In this vein, here is a recent entry from my journal:
September 18, 2020
I forgot what a beautiful place we live in, not being able to go out in nature to enjoy creation. One of my personal goals this month was to experiment with longer distance bike rides. Our family has enjoyed regular evening neighborhood bike rides during the pandemic. Our youngest son was even able to learn to ride his bike without training wheels. So this morning, I packed up and attempted to ride toward Kahala. After riding 8 miles, I finished the ride by enjoying tranquility in a beach park with the gentle sea breeze and smell of the salty air.
We are approaching a crossroads to stay in our current residence or relocate to another neighborhood for a slightly larger living space. Our current neighborhood is so peaceful, that is, when the school next door is not in session. Yet, this morning as we were getting our day going, the school kids were yelling as we were trying to begin our Bible reading. Then, news came that a friend had died… and I couldn’t breathe – anxiety had set in. I closed my eyes and prayed for peace. Sitting here, now surrounded by nature, I have peace. The pain I was experiencing is more tolerable. It was at this moment that I began to wonder, “Should I make my memoirs public again? The struggles and the joys?” When I am experiencing some problem, I derive strength from others sharing their similar feelings and experiences. What helped you may help others.
With so many challenges in our lives right now, we need to learn how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Things that could possible trip us up can, in effect, become stepping stones in our lives that we can learn from.
