Entry #25 • May 12th, 2026

The Quiet Work of Writing

I’m itching to write even though I’m not quite sure what about. I’m still just riding the wave from that last entry I shared (JM#24).

Starting this series has been such an interesting addition to my life. I’ve loved writing in my personal journal for years. It’s a powerful way to process circumstances and reflect back on past experiences. Journaling doesn’t have to be pretty or fit into some sort of system. I quite literally just write what I’m thinking. I don’t try to shape my thoughts into something polished or even especially coherent. I simply write my stream of consciousness.

My thoughts move fast, though, and what journaling with pen and paper does for me is slow them down because I’m trying to keep up with my own writing. That factor alone helps with some of the “processing” that happens when I journal.

I will say there’s one thing I’ve become just slightly snobbish about over the years: the notebook itself. But I figure that’s fair…because it’s the space that holds my thoughts. It’s the paper I’m writing onto. I need the experience to feel inviting to me, otherwise it’s harder to settle into when I finally sit down to journal.

The journal options I’m aware of are lined, grid, dots, or blank. I am a diehard blank journal user. I cannot handle the other options. That blank page just feels so much more inviting to me and less restrictive. It invites my creativity—not that journaling itself feels creative for me so much as it feels like an outlet—and it allows me to write freely.

Most cute notebooks and journals are…lined. Whomp whomp.

I guess those of us in the blank-page club are the minority because I have a hard time finding many options with blank pages.

I purchased a blank-page journal back in 2019. It seemed small at the time, but it actually lasted me nearly five years. I don’t journal every week, but that’s loosely what I strive for. And when I do sit down, pen to paper, I push myself to write one single page. That’s generally all I write.

However, there are days where I write two pages and, even less frequently, three or more.

When I finally filled that journal in early 2025, I bought myself a new one—same exact brand and size, just a different color.

Man. I love these journals.

If you want to check them out, the brand is Leuchtturm1917. I bought my original one from my downtown Main Street neighbor, Outwest Books. When I tried to buy my second one last year, she told me she was no longer carrying them. Maybe that has changed since then, so it would be worth checking with her first because supporting small shops matters.

The exact notebook I use is this one: hardcover | A5 medium | blank ruling.

Chef’s kiss.

Anyways, back to what I was saying at the start of this entry…adding this email series to my life has been an interesting addition. It’s given me another place to process outside of my regular pen-and-paper journaling.

I know I’ve shared about this in a previous entry. There’s just something about this particular space that feels different.

While I’m still writing in a stream-of-consciousness style, it’s not quite the same. Oftentimes, I’ve already started thinking through the entry before I ever begin typing. I think about what I want to share. What I want to dive into or peel back by writing it out. I pause often to think about the words I want to use to express my thoughts.

How can I best convey this storyline to the Reader?

While I am writing for myself, I also know I’m writing for a Reader outside of my own brain and inner workings. This form of writing really forces me to slow down and process in a different way. How can I bring the Reader along on the journey and allow them to learn alongside me?

Sooooo…yeah. Thanks for hanging around here with me. I hope it brings value to you.

Sitting Across the Table

I once read a book many years ago written by a mom, and it was one of the most relatable things I had ever experienced. I didn’t know anything about the author personally, but I’d heard so much chatter about how good the book was that I finally picked it up.

I devoured it within a day or two.

I felt like I was sitting across from her at a coffee shop table. Each chapter was wildly vivid. It felt like she was painting the story right before my eyes. By the time I finished the book, I felt like we were friends.

It was kind of strange to realize she had no idea who I was and would never even know I existed…because I felt BONDED to her through her words.

I remember thinking, wow…one day I want to write a book like this.

While I’m nowhere near writing a book at this point, I really have loved writing these emails. I absolutely love writing and bringing you along with me. And your replies mean so much. It’s incredible knowing that you do exist and you are reading along.

I’m truly humbled by it.

Just after writing the rough draft of this entry, I was walking down Main Street when a Dear Reader stopped me right there on the sidewalk. She gave me a quick squeeze and told me she reads these emails.

Wow.

You all are amazing.

Maybe it really is kind of like we’re sitting down together at a coffee shop table after all, eh?

Beauty Everywhere

I’ve missed a couple weeks of writing because of traveling. I went back to Illinois for my grandpa’s memorial service and to visit friends and family. It was a fantastic trip.

I flew out there with two of my boys. They hadn’t been on a plane since they were babies, so they were chosen for this adventure.

We rented a car and drove all over Illinois visiting friends and family, and we even made our way up into Wisconsin to visit more family there. In total, we drove 1,300 miles in seven days.

It was an absolute blast.

A special shoutout to my amazing staff for being so reliable that I can leave the store for extended periods of time without everything falling apart. And also a shoutout to my kids and husband for being completely capable of running the home without me.

All the years of training the kids have really reaped benefits on this side of my motherhood journey.

And honestly, maybe that’s part of why this Mother’s Day feels especially sweet to me.

Today is my 20th Mother’s Day.

Wow.

Again…feeling incredibly humbled.

I cannot believe this life I’ve been given to live. Even in the difficulties, ultimately there is beauty everywhere.

And maybe that’s part of why the next entry feels important to finally share.

I know this entry is a shorty, but I really wanted to get something out to you this week.

I’ve been working on another entry for months now. I first started thinking about it last October. Then I actually put words to it back in March…right in the middle of an incredibly difficult season.

I’ve back-burnered it a number of times. Partly because it feels vulnerable (lol, my MO with Just Me). Partly because I wanted to wait until the time felt right.

And now I think next week will be the week for it.

So be watching for that one.

Here’s a little trailer…

What happens when you quietly carry a very specific longing for years…finally pray it out loud to God…and then slowly realize He had already been weaving the answer together long before you could see it?

I think it’s finally time to tell that story.

See ya next week,

-Just Me[gan]