btw, my husband actually read it and although i was annoyed with him, it did give him some insight and in-turn helped our marriage. who woulda thought?

They said curiousity killed the cat. I don’t know if it will ever kill me, but I know that my curiousity has gotten me in to trouble a time or two. So I smile knowing that you don’t give in to that curiousity.

You’re right everyone has their own problems and that’s why it’s so great when people can be there for one another. I’m lucky to have friends that are there for me when I need a shoulder to cry on and a friend to hug. They know that in return I am there for them when they need me too. In that way, I am very blessed

Sarah’s friends have their own family challenges – one has an alcoholic father, the other has a father who is firefighter, so he’s gone all Summer, and then there’s Sarah with no father at all. They are each feeling that they’ve got the worst case scenerio. I’m trying to teach Sarah to listen, let people talk, and not judge. She’s only 11, but she’s learning.

I have a 16 year old and I don’t read her stuff either. Yes, I’m curious, because my older daughter holds it close and doesn’t share as much, but growing up my mom had a journal and I knew how important it was to her and to never read it. My sister and I read a little of it once, in high school, and it was horrifying to realize that we had violated Mom’s trust, that we knew the extent of her pain. We never did it again.

You’re right in a way, there are some things I use my better judgement and don’t tell her. However, I know that if I did want to tell her, I could trust her. The thing that is different about being able to tell her vs a diary is that I get feedback from her. Which is most times what I need to feel better.

Everyone is different and everyone parents different. For example, I have a 16yr old daughter and I can tell my daughter that I am there for her and she can tell me anything. Whether she chooses to is up to her and her trust in me. I do think the diary is an excellent idea. It is a release.

It kind of made me chuckle though because I think that it’s great that you will respect her privacy and not read it. I just laugh a little because I know that there MAY BE a time, when the temptation will be there.

My sister had a diary she kept and as far as I know my mom never read it. However, when my sister passed away (she was only 20yrs old) my mom wanted to read it. I debated with her that it wouldn’t be right. That she wouldn’t want her privacy invaded. My mom justified it with the fact that she needed to know and wanted to know everything about her. I let my mom do what she felt she had to do. Closure and accepting loss is hard and everyone deals with it in their own way.

And yes, “shut up” is very hard and rude. Lol. My mom always told us to say, “be quiet” as an alternative. Somehow, she was right. It didn’t sound so rude and it still got the point across. haha..

Well, I wish both you and Sarah the best and maybe one day she will find someone that she can at least “feel” like she can tell anything to.