Amidst the chaos of feelings and thoughts that estrangement from my adult child stirs, journaling emerges as a beacon of healing, offering a safe space to pour out my thoughts, emotions. Writing my feelings on a piece of paper, or typing them into a google doc has been an extremely useful tool for me. I have always journaled. I journal my daily prayers, I journal my thoughts, and I even journal poetry. This blog was started because I journaled what was going on and I needed a place to put everything I was feeling, good and bad. I needed a place to express myself without judgement from any outside source. Honestly, sometimes I need a place to speak where no one else gives me an opinion. Journaling helps me to have that place.
The Healing Words Within
Journaling is more than just a collection of written words; it is a powerful tool for processing emotions and gaining clarity amidst life's uncertainties. The act of journaling allows me to externalize my innermost thoughts, fears, and joys, freeing my mind from the weight of unspoken feelings. Through the cathartic process of putting my thoughts into words, I begin to unravel the labyrinth of my mind and unearth the healing words within. It gives me a way to track what is going on so that I can gage my reactions and hopefully see where I am doing well in my life and where I need to improve.
Embracing Self-Discovery
In the quiet moments of journaling, I can free myself of any chains that I have and I allow everything to just flow. When I saying everything, I mean everything! It gives me documentation that I can share with my therapist when there are issues that I am having due to the specific emotional and mental struggles that estrangement can cause. More times than not, I discover issues that probably contributed to the estrangement. It helps me gain a deeper understanding of myself and my emotional landscape. Journaling serves as a mirror that reflects my innermost self, allowing me to confront my fears, deal with past trauma, celebrate my successes, and chart a path towards personal growth and healing.
Tracking Progress: A Journey Unfolded
One of the most powerful aspects of journaling for healing is the ability to track my progress and growth over time. By revisiting past entries, I witness the evolution of my thoughts, feelings, and perspectives, offering a tangible reminder of how far I have come on my journey towards healing. The act of tracking progress through journaling not only provides validation of my efforts but also inspires me to continue moving forward with courage and resilience. It is not easy to look back on some of the entries, however, it does help me to see I am doing necessary work to help me become a better person and be more capable of handling stressful situations that come my way in a much more healthy manner.
Embracing Vulnerability and Resilience
Through journaling, I embrace vulnerability as a source of strength and resilience. Opening up my heart and mind on paper requires courage and vulnerability, but it is through this raw authenticity that I find healing and empowerment. Journaling teaches me to embrace my imperfections, acknowledge my struggles, and celebrate my resilience in the face of life's challenges. It is a space where honesty is necessary. It is the place where I express every disappointment,all my rage, all my anger, all my resentment, all my joy, and all my successes. I can just be me. I believe that everyone needs a place to be able to express themselves in this manner.
The Written Word Has Power
There is much power in the written word. Words can tear down, or they can build up. Words can create. I am in a situation where I am estranged from my adult child. This has given me feelings of being powerless. I have found that journaling daily has allowed me to gain some of that power back, by giving me an avenue to write out everything, most especially when I am feeling angry and lost. I can scream on paper and not disturb anyone, or damage my vocal cords, (an important thing for a singer). Journaling helps me to process all my anxieties. My best ideas come when I am journaling. I can hear God speaking to me when I am journaling. Journaling has become my very best tool in my emotional and mental health emergency kit. It gives me permission to take time for myself, and helps me to move forward. For me, it is a necessary daily activity.
Healing During Estrangement is Necessary
So many of the resources I have and use discuss the fact that reconciliation with your adult child can only happen when the parent or parents do the work to heal the wounds that made the adult child feel unsafe. I my case, I have no idea why I am estranged from my adult child. We had a difficult conversation and I wrote an email to apologize. At that point, communication was cut off. She would no longer answer. I have had to take a look at the email and the situation. I realize there was more to it than just that conversation. My deep dive to heal and improve began. A lot of articles I have studied, books I have read, and podcasts I have listened to about estrangement have pointed out that if you want to reconcile with your adult child, YOU, in other words, I have to do the hard work of healing and growing. I use many different tools to help myself. Journaling is my first go to tool. I recommend it! Let me warn you, you have to be consistent and completely honest. You may have to give up something in order to spend time on it. I believe it is worth it.
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