Josie Journal

I have decided to start journaling again. No, not on the blog, but in a real live journal with real pen and ink and paper. I actually decided to do this about a month ago, but I have had trouble getting started. I am hoping that by posting here, I might actually follow through and start! This journal would actually be for Josie, and perhaps any future children I may have. So there won't be a ton of bitching in the journal. However, it is for the adult version of my children, whatever that may be, so I don't want to sugar-coat life either. There are a couple of inspirations for this long-term journal project.
The post Motherly Love by Elizabeth Anne Designs was the first inspiration. I loved that her mom captured all of the cute sayings of her daughter, and all of the crazy emotions a new first-time mother goes through. I thought the gift was so sweet...

The next inspiration was the article "Parentless Parents: How to be a Parent Without Your Own" by Allison Gilbert on the Huffington Post blog. This article was shared in Reader by a dear friend of mine who is a parentless parent. (You know who you are - I love you & think you're amazing!) I started thinking about how I would do if I had gone through this pregnancy, birth & the past 3 months without being able to pick up the phone and find out how my birth was, or how old I was when I cut my first tooth. I started thinking about the fact that it is possible I will not be on this earth when Josie has her own children (Although I really would like to be - please Lord?). If that were to be the case, I would want her to have a reference. I would want her to be able to pick up a journal (or a series of journals) and hear my voice and read about her own infancy and childhood. I would want her to know that her mother, along with mother's around the world struggled with the same things she may struggle with.

Anyway, wish me luck. I'm not sure what the first page should say or where to start, but I guess I better do it soon.