Journaling in June

June is supposed to be the pleasantest of months - no stray spring showers or frosty windshields, no muggy days or mosquitoes; but this year, this is the 3rd day in a row that it's close to touching a 100 degrees - HOT! Sitting outside at 8pm, it's still really warm, and there's a haze over everything I see. The leaves seem to be darkening in a hurry, and the tomatoes and pepper plants seem to think it's August already.

I'm just glad that I'm finally done work for the day, the boys are away to play, and I have the evening to myself. Even the air conditioning can't keep me inside - I'd rather hold out my hopes on the slight breeze that might make its way over to me. The oppressive weather seems like an overload on my already burdened back.

When the burden gets too heavy, put it down.

As common-sensible (made-up word) as it might sound, this little nugget of wisdom saved my day today. I could feel that I was paying a little too much attention to what-ifs yesterday. The more I think about them, the heavier they get in my mind, to the point where they were getting unbearable. But by the time I got there, it helped to put my thoughts down on paper - that relieved some of my imagined burden; and then reiterating my core values to myself - Truth, Integrity, and staying Present - helped put the rest of my load down.

I don't exactly remember the day or the reason I started writing in my journal regularly, but I cannot be more thankful for finding this means of communicating with my inner self, whose language of subtle whispers, faint feelings and sublime symbols was beyond my understanding. But somehow, the act of writing seems to give voice to my inner self and I always feel calmed and soothed after putting down on paper whatever comes through my pen. And by putting it down on paper, I'm putting down the burden I was carrying.

Amazingly, in as much time as it took to write this entry, the weather changed from hot and humid to cloudy and cool. To think that the weather is reflecting my change of mood - from heavy to light, from hot to cool, from stifling to buoyant, is probably taking synchronocity a bit too far, so I'll just say it's a coincidence.

Thanks for reading! Do you journal? Why? What do you like about it? What does it help you with? Share your comments.