Preserve diaries by culling the ‘icky bits’
DearAmy: I’ve been writing in my journals ever since elementary school. I have kept every single one of them, tucked safely away in the back ofmy closet, for years. I’ll look through them occasionally just to see what lifewas like forme at certain points.
I guess that because of the advent ofCOVID, Iworry about what would happen to these journals if I should suddenly get ill and could not “get rid” of them ofmy own volition. Honestly, I’d be mortified for anyone to read these, especially my family. Howdo I handle these personal treasures?— Closet Case
Dear Closet Case: One idea I have is for you to take this opportunity to “cull” through yourwork, creating a document (including dates) of some of your experiences, quoting from your diaries and creating a timeline of your life.
Ordinary days are alsoworth noting, because they capture the essence of an individual’s existence.
Leave out the “icky bits” (we diarykeepers all have them), and make a printed copy of your edited version.
If you choose to do this, after you complete yourwork, put your diaries away with instructions among your important papers that they must be destroyed (without reading).
After six months, revisit your diaries and if you believe you have followed through on your original intentions, then you can destroy your diaries yourself, leaving your edited version behind.
DearAmy: I toldmy husband that ifwewere to pay a visit to his sister’s home, we should stay in a hotel because she doesn’t turn on the heat (she lives in Canada and we live in awarm state), and because she insists on taking us to their Jehovah’sWitness Church and making uswatch videos about their faith. I do notwantmy children exposed to that.
I don’t mind visiting her city in Canada without seeing her, butmy husband says that’s rude.
AmIwrong? AmI being juvenile?— DistressedMama
Dear Distressed: As of this writing, the border between theU.S. and Canada is (basically) closed, due to the pandemic.
If things open up, youwon’t have to face any of these choices if you simply decide to let your husband take the kids to see his sister, while you stay home.