I'm one of those people who write in a journal. I don't write every single day but I do have a big collection of no-longer blank books. My mom did the same thing. She chronicled her life day after day for the last 20 years of her life. I have read those journals, they weren't terribly interesting, but I was in them, and so were our kids, and so were her bridge scores (she was a fanatic). She worried about eating too much candy, and other mundane things, but I think those last 20 years for her were probably some of the best of her life.

Just before she died she also wrote, for me, a short collection of stories about her early life. Finally she told me she couldn't write any more because it was just too painful. I understood. At that time she was suffering from cancer. She had wanted to tell me those things, but somehow she couldn't, until the last minute. She had had a truly horrible childhood. It was okay with me. I dislike the fact that she didn't live long enough to see how her granddaughters turned out. She would be thrilled.

I suppose my kids will read my journals, someday, when I'm not around any longer. They will find much the same thing as I found in mom's writing, although I think I had an easier life than she did.

Recently I've been talking to some of my pals about journals, and lo and behold, most of them write in them too. They chide me about them, because I tell them I usually write down my personal gripes -- you know, all those petty things that continue to nag me, people who do things that really irk me, worries about this and that, all that junk. THEY think I should be writing about what I'm grateful for.

Ahhh, okay, I'll try, but I know it's difficult. I'll make it easier on myself and start by listing my personal likes and dislikes (in no particular order):

I like all the usual stuff, you know, chocolate, lemon lift Tea, Merlot, my cat, and the beach...
But I also REALLY like:
Being a grandmother
Hanging out with my daughters
Long lunches with friends
My computer bridge game (an app called Bridge V+)
Working on art projects
Singing with my Sweet Adelines chorus, Mission Valley Chorus
Reality TV shows, especially Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, Storage Wars, Tiny House Hunters, Tiny House Nation, Property Brothers! I'm addicted to renos.
The Internet, my iphone, my ipad, and my website, oh and Facebook!

Things that MILDLY annoy me:
People who talk too much about themselves, without ever letting anybody else get a word in edge-wise (I'm working on being more tolerant. They have a lot to tell me.)
The lack of good movies when I want to go to a good movie
People who cut in line (what makes you so special, dammit)
Tail-gaters (calm down already)
Robo calls. Arrgh!

I REALLY dislike:
Trump
The State of our Environment and our lack of will to do the hard stuff
I dislike a bunch of minor things too, but after writing those words, everything else seems too petty.

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