In the winter of 1997 while sitting on my couch the day after Christmas and playing the video gaming system my parents just purchased for me I hear my mom say, "Honey, can you pause the game for me please. You and you sister need to listen to what your father and I have to say." At this point I was trying to decipher what this could be about by picking up on their facial expressions and the tone of their voices. I had ruled out divorce because my parents have always gotten along. So I sat puzzled as to what this interruption of my ultimate gaming experience was about. Little did I know I was just about to hear t

Over a year passed and my Moms condition had improved immensely. She was home and living her old life again. Then once again my parents called my sister and me over for another one of those frightening moments. I could see the tears in her eyes once again. I got worried. Only this time they were different. These tears were ones of happiness. You see, the night before that moment my mom received a call from her doctor and had been given the most heart-warming news of her life. My mom was in remission. She had beaten it. It had been an event in our lives that would change us forever, one that we all had to overcome.

Ever since this incident I have looked at writing in a new light. My life has been changed for the better. I have found that writing can sometimes be the best form of expression and the human race probably would not advance and learn without it. At its best, great writing teaches us about ourselves. If we can see a common experience or emotion expressed in a play, a thought, a novel, then it makes us feel less alone in the world. I also learned that there are many reasons why people keep a journal. Journals can help determine your goals, and your goals influence the type of journal you keep, how often you write, and other characteristics of your journal. But even more important, your reason for keeping your journal gives you a clue about what you are looking for in life.

If nothing else, a journal offers easy release, a cheap therapist always available, even in the middle of the night. I have learned a journal can also be a writer's practice book. It can be a student's warehouse for lists and ideas about papers to come. It can be a recovering alcoholic's explorations

Some common words found in the essay are:
Prophecy Cancer, Twelve Steps, keeping journal, life altering, form expression, journal reason, won't happen,
Approximate Word count = 1144
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)