“Writing is the friend I never knew I needed.”

It feels strange to say that. In the past, I have never been a writer. Of course, I had to write in school. But that was mostly essays, with regurgitated facts or others’ re-worded opinions. I had a couple of diaries growing up. I always wanted so badly to keep a diary, but perfection stopped me. “The diary begins January 1. There is to be an entry every single day. Each entry must be dated and signed off in the same way.” I have no idea why I felt the need to give myself so many rules, but I could never keep up with them all! I would miss a few days worth of entries, and then give up, believing I had failed. Also, because I was so structured about it, I never knew what to write. It was mostly things like, “Today I went to school. Math is boring.” It wasn’t exactly insightful.

But within the past several months, I’ve started writing. I forced myself to accept no rules and to have no structure. At first, it was simply a way for me to blow off steam. Then it evolved. Writing became the place I can share myself, where I can air out and organize my thoughts and opinions. It’s a rare place that I can completely be myself, free of judgment. I can think and feel how I want, without worrying that I’m different or “too much.” Writing is the place where my “too much” becomes my “just enough.” Writing calms the ever-present chaos in my head, helps to center me, and helps me to see things more clearly. It opens my mind and allows me to THINK. Writing has brought more focus to my goals and how to achieve them. I believe that writing is one of my keys to a positive outlook on life.

As I was looking through one of my little notebooks this morning, I remembered writing this a while back:

So, if writing is my new friend, I am really glad to have met her.