Journeys

We all take many journeys in life - some good, some bad but almost all are educational. We learn about our selves through the events that take place and how we handle them. Many times I have wished I would have handled things better but even that was a step forward as I became aware. A friend of mine has started on a frightening journey. One against a silent killer - ovarian cancer. She is brave and courageous and I admire her spirit. Another friend is nursing an aging father whose health is precarious and requires daily assistance. Still others face the uncertainty of retirement. My younger friends face the challenge of growing up in the age of instant media. Gone are the days of blissful ignorance and innocence. They know too much too soon. When faced with difficult journeys, I always recommend that my friends journal. There is something therapeutic about getting it down on paper and out of our internal organs. I have journaled for years and some of it landed in my first novel, Threads - the story of a woman's journey to her true self. I chose only those journeys that were universal, ones that most of us travel - the pains of an awkward childhood, the metamorphosis into adulthood, loss, love, divorce and the growth of the soul.

I would love to hear from readers about their sweetest and toughest journeys. How did your cope? Did you journal and did it help? Who helped you most on your journey? What did you learn?

All journeys lead somewhere - where are you now and how did you get there? The road behind is as important as the road ahead.