I have Friendship Journals on the mind, because my very good and patient friend, Dawn, is still waiting for the journal's Arizona arrival. Here's the quick low down. About eight years ago ten women I knew tried to join forces to begin a never ending Friendship Journal. The idea was the journal would fill with entries as it moved from person to person. I think the journal started in Georgia, stopped in Arizona, then LA, and then New York where it was lost and never recovered. That was the end of that.
Two years ago my friend Dawn suggested we revive the idea, but this time modified to be a touch more realistic. Round two has worked much better. She started us off. Back and forth between the two of us the journal has gone, ever since. The pages are filled with funny stories, serious reflections, family photos, recipes, winning ideas, life ambitions, and so much more. There's no timeline and no pressure. Hang onto it for a month (or more...) or turn it right around. Tag your it. That's why it works. It's just a simple gesture reflecting our own going commitment to stay in touch... forever.I savor the days the journal shows up in my mailbox. I never let myself open the envelope immediately, as it is impossibly tempting to flip to the last page and get her latest update. No, instead I savor the experience. I tuck the journal away and make a date with myself. I either go to Starbucks for a cup of coffee, where I can hide in the corner of the store and read the pages slowly, or I curl up under the covers in my bedroom. Either way, it is quiet, uninterrupted time. For those fifteen or twenty minutes I am single, with no kids and remembering what life was like surrounded by supportive and loving girlfriends. It is my oasis.
- Ship it "Media Mail." It costs less and because there's no rush... it works out fine.
- Bubble envelopes can be recycled if you using mailing labels and cut the top.
- You'll be surprised to find all the fun, one-dimensional things you can fit in the pages of a journal (DVD's, CD's magazine clippings, stickers, quotes, photographs). Have fun with it and view it as another venue for your creativity.
So today the journal is Arizona bound. Off for another journey - carrying with it fun tales, hopes and dreams, pictures, and thoughtful questions. And, maybe a small treat is included in the envelope to boot. From the moment I mail it, the wait begins for its long journey back to Texas. Dawn, tag you're it!
Speaking of journeys... check out Helena's Flat Stanley adventure under today's posts. She did a great job of hosting Stanley in Canada and now he's off to his next destination. Julie beat our readership to the punch, so she is his next host. I am not sure where Julie is posting from (we have a couple), but where ever it is, Flat Stanley is sure to have fun! Julie, pass along your mailing address and I will be sure Helena gets it.Signing off until tomorrow when we will DEFINITELY will be whacked on the side of the head...
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Flat Stanly Update:
Written by Helena, but posted by Claudia
Flat Stanley, who'd have ever thought he'd be my companion for the 6 weeks that were to follow, eh? He starts his voyage in Toronto. Where to go? What to do? Felt like an unfamiliar guest I was unprepared for. The uneasiness settled and I became more comfortable with our new guest. Stanley joined me everywhere. He was alongside my little girl and I as we watched and cheered at a local semi-finals hockey game. They won and I could feel Flat Stanley's smile grow wider just a little... He was there with us as we travelled and shopped the chic Queen Street West (fashion district) for a prom dress for my little sister's upcoming big day. He traveled through the downtown core in our famous TTC transit subway system. We saw the CN Tower, the tallest standing structure but my fear of heights had us watching from below than from atop! But a few days into Flat Stanley's visit and I was sure he must have brought with him a bug of some sort. I was feeling nauseous, crappy, and tired all the time... A quick pee later and Flat Stanley was escorting our little family to our OB's office as we heard the news that we are expecting a new addition to our family. Was this Flat Stanley multiplying??? The next couple of weeks had us stuck at home as I tried to recover from morning sickness. Flat Stanley tried and day after day I could sense him holding my hair back as I made daily visits to the porcelain God. Releif was in sight, parties to attend in April and as my birthday rolled around, hubby surprised us all with a one-week vacation to Mexico. So here was Flat Stanley although destined for Canada was now on his way with us to Mexico to enjoy the sun, the sand and maybe a few tequila shots with my husband ;) A great time was had although an unpleasant finale shocked us, as we learnt that our camera was lost and did not make it to our home. A camera can be replaced but not as much can be said for the 675 pictures that documented our trip and our follies with our guest: Flat Stanley. So I share with you the only picture I was smart enough to store on my computer before we had left and wish Flat Stanley all the best as he moves to his next new destination.
Thanks for letting me be a part of his adventures.
Helena
Helena,
WOW!
Flat Stanley will never be the same!
THAT will be a tough adventure to top!
If Flat Stanley is so inclined, he is welcome to join my wife and I as we embark on an Alaskan Cruise in June. Of course, that requires a large assumption that a. he doesn't already have plans and b. that he will be done at his current destination.
We leave June 17th.
So a friend of mine from Dallas just started this exact same journal for our group of girlfriends!! How weird is that!! I came home from LeaderShape to find that it was waiting for me in the mail and i am really excited about it!! I was thinking of things to add to it, and then i read your blog today!! Now i have all of these amazing ideas of what to add before sending it off again!
THANKS!!
Illiana... welcome aboard. After spending the whole week with you, I feel like we are old buddies. Such a coincidence that you are just embarking on "Friendship Journaling" just as I cover the topic on highlowaha.
One of the favorite contributions I made to the journal was my "virtual shopping spree." Over the course of a couple of months I cut out pictures from catalogs, magazines, and newspapers of all the things I would want to buy my friend if money was limitless. It was a fun way to show her that I think about her a lot without actually going broke! It is, after all, the thought that counts.
Thanks for posting, Illiana.
My friends and I used to do what we called a "circle journal." It was so fun to wait for that package every month--I was never able to control my excitement and ripped it open as soon as I got it. I wish we still did it but life got in the way and we stopped doing it :( Maybe I'll suggest getting it started again.
I do a Flat Stanley project every year in my 1st grade classroom. The projects started rolling in today and we're excited to start sharing them with one another. Sounds like this little guy had a lot of fun with more to come.
Cassie..I'm not sure if you'll see this but thanks for your kind comments. Your thoughts were helpufl and comforting--I like the ornament idea.
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