~as I look forward to the journey~

The heat of summer has settled upon us on the Oklahoma prairie. Every day the weather forecast looks much the same. Hot, hot, and more hot. It's been a long time that any kind of rain has fallen and the parched earth cries out for whatever the skies above can send us. I know that some cold January day this winter will find me yearning for the current temperatures, yet we must take what is given to us and the weather is no exception.
Except for the early morning and the hours after 5:00 p.m., I try to stay inside and out of the heat of the day. There is plenty to do here at home, but one of the things I prefer to do the most is to write in my journals. I try to set aside time to record what has happened in the day and as in the case of the book shown above, the exciting things that have happened to me in my life. To be honest, I'm not sure how exciting that life has been but it has definitely turned out to be memorable. In the years to come, one of my kids will perhaps look at the journal entry for today and find their mother's handwritten scrawl letting them know- "Today I woke up way too early. I couldn't go back to sleep so I just got up and started the coffee pot and the day."
"The Story of My Life" uses interesting writing prompts, like the one shown above. It's easy to answer questions like this one and as a matter of fact, there were probably a dozen more things I could have written about. Mom was a wonderful cook and even with 9 hungry mouths to feed in times that sometimes got pretty lean, we never once went hungry. Truthfully not even one time, and except for liver and onions, my memories of food from my childhood are pretty pleasant.
This writing prompt, done only yesterday, had a bitter-sweet taste to it. Any time I think about the kids from school who I have had over the years, my heart is always touched by their memories. I'd be the first to admit that I'm a little sad about not returning to school and it helps to write about it once in a while. Writing is great therapy for me.
Of the many journals I have going right now, this gratitude journal is the one I'm most happy about. Every morning as I am drinking my first cup of coffee for the day, I write down things that I am thankful for. I try not to stop until I have filled up the entire page. This has been especially helpful for me as the summer has progressed and I am making the adjustment into the life of retirement. It helps to focus on the really good stuff that is happening in my life, some so mundane that I nearly forget it. You know, I can't remember the last time I gave thanks for a good washer/dryer here at home with plenty of water and soap to clean our dirty clothing with. But on July 10th, those things made the gratitude list.
I'll be busy over the next few months as I try to maneuver my way along the new paths where life will take me. Things will be such a change for me and I know there will be times that I will wish for my old life back. I believe that periods of self-reflection and journaling will help me to keep things in their proper perspective. I look forward to the journey!

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