do you keep a journal or a diary

[ummi2mybabies]

aoa sisters i was wondering do any of you keep a journal or a diary . and if so do u share it with your husbands or do u keep it private.

i had a diary from the time i was about 7 years old tilla bout 17 and till havent had one yet but im thinking to keep one now . even just to vent if need be .

so do u keep a diary ?

[umm_maryam]

No. I tried when i was small, but after a few days i left. I`m not the kind of person who is a good writer.

[DiamondLady Mema-Eemah]

No, because I feel if it contains stuff that you do not want anyone to view, you are just setting yourself up for it to be seen.
Either by someone finding your "hiding spot".....your house being robbed.....after you pass away....ANYTHING!!!

My "secrets" are between me & ALLAH......but as soon as I write it down, it is no longer between me & ALLAH anymore.

But if you have one just for "Non-Secret" things, then that is okay......just don't reveal any "unwanted" info. in it.


Naimah (eemah1) [smilie=kitty.gif]

[ramina]

i used to keep one but like naimah said i set myself up for it to be seen. i used to vent about my husband and he found it and got really angry. so now i don't keep one.

[ummi2mybabies]

i keep a diary for the boys like milestones book and i write to them so that way when the are older in case i forgot something or im not here we never know when its our time my kids will have at least the memories

[LoveIslam]

You know i always tell myself maybe i should keep one...I mean Oprah is screaming her head off telling how great it is to do. Maybe it is a good relief...but i dont know...why not just pray to Allah and not have to worry about someone finding out your innermost secrets??

just a suggerstion :)

[nasimaelghazi]

Oh my,....I do keep a journal..it hadnt even crossed my mind about sharing it with him..its my private thoughts..but now that you have made me think about it,,,I dont think Ill take it with me to Malaysia..He will prob demand to read it..Its not like I do anything wrong but I dont think he should read about when Im upset with him or when Im sad. I feel for sure he would want to read it if he knew I had one,,He reads everything else that pretains to me..He is very big about my not having anything private from him. thanks for making me think about this....

[Umm Ibrahim]

[smilie=111281salams.gif]


eemah1: No, because I feel if it contains stuff that you do not want anyone to view, you are just setting yourself up for it to be seen.
Either by someone finding your "hiding spot".....your house being robbed.....after you pass away....ANYTHING!!!

My "secrets" are between me & ALLAH......but as soon as I write it down, it is no longer between me & ALLAH anymore.

But if you have one just for "Non-Secret" things, then that is okay......just don't reveal any "unwanted" info. in it.

My sentiments exactly!

It's nice to keep a record of things like milestones, Ramadan days fasted or missed, periods etc. Actually I keep all this information on my mobile phone. [smilie=1224311icon_wink.gif]

Nicola

[Humayraa]

[smilie=282wsalam.gif]

Sis Naimah has said it beautifully. There's no reason for me to have one. My memory is a good enough diary for me, Alhamdulillaah.

[JundAllah]

I have a Word Document on the computer set up with a password, and I use it only to vent about dh when I'm really upset. Allah knows my only intention with this is to blow off a little steam, get my thoughts together, and then approach dh about whatever is upsetting me. It's my number one advice for any sisters having problems with their dh, once you get your thoughts down on paper so you can see them in front of you, you can realize how silly they are or how you properly want to organize your feelings before approaching dh or any other person.

[bluesky]

[smilie=111281salams.gif] Yep, I agree with sis Farah and sis Asya too.

When I was going thru very difficult time's, I did indeed keep a journal -however, it was very small because basically, I would use it to vent.

[smilie=11281alhamdulillah.gif] It helped me to clear a lot of thing's in my mind but also it helped me get rid of the anger. To make the point though, about what the other sister's say about privacy, I would end up ripping the page's that were the most 'controversial'!

Also, just as a general reminder of life's experience's, I did write quite a lot of poetry in those day's too. I only ripped that up because one day I was frustrated with life.... [smilie=17icon_neutral.gif]

I intend to start all that again, insh'Allah. Even the journal, I think again the page's that are a bit too damaging, I might rip up after I've written them but I think I would still want to write down my experience's.

I totally understand where sis Asya is coming from though: My next door neighbour was a woman very much in the same boat as us. She died last year and left behind 3 children. Her two younger daughter's were just about to enter their teen year's. I think they would have loved it if their mom had left them a journal or poetry to read about her life.

[DiamondLady Mema-Eemah]

The only journal that I DO HAVE is one on Rahjeev from birth till about maybe 5 months old.....I have kept THAT because I would refer back to it when needed (for doctors and such).....but I've kept it also so that InshaAllah I plan to finish the book that I started writing about him....I have THAT saved on a disk, InshaAllah I will get back to it one day soon and complete it.

But anything personal about me OR my hubby & me...I take it to ALLAH...and I vent away [smilie=23icon_mrgreen.gif].

The idea about keeping the info. for your kids (the stuff that is about your kids of course) is a very sweet idea.....but when I hear the word "diary OR journal, I think of something "private" about your inner thoughts....and that should not be revealed to anyone.

Naimah (eemah1) [smilie=kitty.gif]

[Humayraa]

The idea about keeping the info. for your kids (the stuff that is about your kids of course) is a very sweet idea.....but when I hear the word "diary OR journal, I think of something "private" about your inner thoughts....and that should not be revealed to anyone.

[smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif] [smilie=icon14.gif]

[bunny]

My parents always discouraged journal writing b/c they don't want us to write personal things or about our sins and then have someone discover them later.

But, I used to on occassion keep a journal about my feelings or what I did on a particular day. But, I could never keep it up b/c I write so much that it discouraged me from continuing it.

Now, I just write something down every once in a while when I want to vent or write a letter to someone if I'm mad at them. And then I just read the letter, feel better, and destroy the letter.

[bluesky]

Now, I just write something down every once in a while when I want to vent or write a letter to someone if I'm mad at them. And then I just read the letter, feel better, and destroy the letter.

Looool, ditto sis bunny!

[SHAIKHA]

Assalamu'alaikum ya Ukht,


Sis Bunny : Now, I just write something down every once in a while when I want to vent or write a letter to someone if I'm mad at them. And then I just read the letter, feel better, and destroy the letter.

Ooohh sis Bunny, this is so true... Once I was so mad with a 'friend' & being me, I don't know how to be angry in front of the person, so write her an e-mail... but Alhamdullillah, I was wise enought to save it as 'Draft', till I fell comfortable to sent it to her. I wrote & saved 5 drafted e-mails and Dua constantly to Allah to guide me to do the right thing.

SubhanAllah, right after... the problem was solved with no one getting hurt. When I read my e-mails again, I felt so blessed and thank Allah that I didn't sent those e-mails out, coz I can imagine the 'turmoil' it can cause. Alhamdullillah for that.... and Alhamdullillah, the e-mail is my 'secret' that only Allah knows... it has since been destroyed !

JazakAllah khair...

[Hayfa]

I kept onem, sort of when I was in college. It was a difficult period of time. I was seeing a therapist at the time trying to figure things out. (I feel old now.. lol)

The good thing about it is that it can help you realize one's thought patterns. Like I realized that I think negatively about myself in certain situations. It helped me alot to figure out better ways to be happy in my own head and also in life.

That period of time was invaluable for giving me strategies for my own behavior and thought patterns. I was at times, my own worst trouble.. :)

In a way that writing was so my therapist could help me figure why was I unhappy. Thanks be to Allah I have much sernity and peace. But beyond that I never wrote in a journal or diary.

I know for other people it can be a good way to "get the thought"s out of the head. I know I can get "obsessed" about some things (less so now). And its like putting them someplace other then my head.

[Lallipathi]

ASA..

Would never write a journal or diary..God forbid if someone came across 'my bared soul'..

Know plenty of women and sisters whose journals have been found, either during their lifetime, and sometimes after their demise..

Though I was raised in a Western environment, I consider it to be a very Western custom and actually a sign of weakness.. I think what we want to keep private should remain so..ie between the person and Allah..

Keeping a blog or a record , ie weddings, childrens birth, milestones , etc is a totally different thing frmo keeping a diary/journal..

Just my 2 cents

Lalli