This morning, when I came into the office, there was a stack of envelopes piled up on my chair. Loads of submissions are rolling in for our annual writing contest. Bryon had many envelopes to slice open too. One of them was a poem written by a teen survivor of Hurricane Katrina. (It was beautiful and may get published in a future issue of READ magazine, if space permits.)

A few hours later, I got an e-mail link to a feature story about how writing is helping many young Katrina surivors heal: 

"In Baton Rouge, faculty and students at Louisiana State University quickly organized the Katrina Writing Project, offering evacuees of all ages a notebook to write down their thoughts or compose poetry - whatever they wanted. Before long, people were seeking out volunteers to ask for a notebook." Read the full article and some survivor stories.

The article reminded me of Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg's book Write Where You Are: How to Use Writing to Make Sense of Your Life. In it, Goldberg writes:

"Writing heals your hurts and sings your songs ... it gives you a place to save and savor your memories and insights, your thoughts and wishes, your feelings and goals. Writing can help you create and re-create ... Writing can also help you express your true feelings and understand yourself better. Most of all, it can make you feel more alive."

I so agree with Goldberg.

Some people sing to let off the steam in their lives. Others dance. Still others run. For me, writing is the best therapy.

I've been keeping a journal since I was 11 years old. Each and every one of my diaries is stacked in a huge wooden chest. Whenever I crack the lid open to thumb through the pages of my notebooks, I wonder: what would I have done without writing?

My journals still keep me afloat. Whenever I am going through a rough spot, or if I've had an irritating day, I just pull out a pen and start writing.

Even if I do nothing but make a long list of:
"I'm angry/upset/irritated/annoyed/hurt because _____________"
on a blank piece of paper, I instantly start to feel better.

It sounds so simple, but it always does the trick. I start to breathe easier, I stop frowning, and I wipe away the frustration. 

Try it. It really works.