Springtime is for the love of Gladiolus
A classmate and friend brought in some Gladiolus to class today. So beautiful and heart warming. Reminds me of Journaling classes at Peachford Hospital. The Peachford Orientation packet contains Journaling rules and The Garden of Recovery. I would love to share these here with you and thank you to all my devoted readers. I have had much success as a blogger at The Covington News and it has been most therapeutic and my doctor feels it important that I continue to blog and blog often, every day as suggested. I have shared of the Journaling rules and The Garden of Recovery in the past, but I felt compelled to share it once again here for my readers after holding such beautiful Gladiolus today. Their presence made me very happy and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
Springtime is for the love of Gladiolus and Gardening. Begin to tend your garden today. A very wise and influential doctor gave me this orientation packet and it includes the Garden of Recovery and Journaling rules. (Of which there are none)
Journaling rules
This is easy. There are no rules. Write anything you want, anything you feel. It doesn’t need to be interesting. It’s all right to repeat yourself over and over. Whatever is written is for your value only. This is yours.
You don’t have to worry about punctuation, grammar, spelling, penmanship, neatness or staying on the lines. You can scribble all over the page if that makes you feel better. I have done that and it made me feel great. A wonderful way to get rid of tension.
Choosing to share writings is a personal choice. It is strictly confidential. The privacy of the journal should not be violated. You don’t have to share your writings with anybody unless you want to. Some people find it helpful and feel comfortable sharing writing with family members, friends or health care professionals, this is a personal choice. Others require privacy. As one study volunteer said, “I can express my emotion I want while writing without being criticized or judged.
It helps so set aside a specific time everyday for journaling, such as early in the morning or before going to sleep at night, but this is not necessary. Spend as little or as much tie writing as you want. Some people like to set a timer.
You can write in your journal anytime – daily, several time a day, or weekly. You don’t have to commit to keeping a journal for the rest of your life – just when you feel like it. You can write at any speed you want, fast or slow. You can write as much or as little as you want.
Ways to get started :
Write your name, address and phone number inside the front cover if you carry your journal with you. Add a statement like this : “This contains private information. Please do not read it without my permission. Thank you!”
Some people like to quiet down before starting their writing. You can do this by taking several deep breaths and then focusing on something pleasant fro a moment of two, such as a flower, a piece of fruit, your pet, or the view out the window. You might want to take a warm bath or go for a short walk – whatever quietens you down. Then, claim a quiet space to journal. Turn off the phone and ask others to respect your need for quiet and privacy. Moms and Dads may choose to journal when baby is napping, the children are in school, or after the children have gone to bed.
You may choose a special place in your home that you decorate and reserve for journal writing. Lighting candles may feel good. I sometimes like to write in my journal by candlelight. Writing outside sitting under a big special tree or on the beach in the warm sunshine also feels good. Consider journaling while listening to your favorite music. Date your entries if you want to. It helps keep things in perspective as you review what you written over time. Don’t fix your mistakes. Just keep writing. Draw or paste pictures or words in your journal. Doodle.
Journaling Exercises :
If you have had a hard time starting to journal, some of these exercises may help you. Make your answers as revealing as possible. Write as long or short a response as you’d like. If my life could be any way that I want, what would it be like? Start your journaling using a separate piece of paper, a notebook, or a special book you’ve purchased.
What I like about myself :
What is making me feel good today?
What made me feel low today?
What made me feel high today?
What are the stressors in my life?
What makes me happy?
My favorite people are :
What makes me feel so good when I spend time with :
The best thing that ever happened to me was :
The worst thing that ever happened to me was :
Write a letter to someone you would like to tell off but it would not be wise or who is not available.
Write a letter to yourself, pretending you are your own best friend.
The Garden of Recovery :
There are four flower pots
The seed of forgiveness.
The seed of Love.
The seed of Hope.
The seed of Courage.
A garden is the perfect place to begin your healing process of recovery. As you look around the garden you will see Four Flower Pots with names of seeds in them. Each pot represents a different seed of healing that you will plant in your journey of growth and healing.
The first seed you plant is the Seed of Forgiveness. When you plan this seed you are ready to begin to forgive yourself and others who have hurt you. People who have let you down, disappointed you, used you and then tossed you to the side. As you forgive them your seed will take root and grow strong just as you need to forgive yourself to grow and get strong.
The second seed you plant is The Seed of Love. In planting this seed you will begin to love yourself even more. It is your love that will strengthen the root and help your seed to grow branches out to others. Planting this seed means that you can go on.
The third seed you need to plant is the Seed of Hope. Why Hope? Without hope you cannot grow this seed at all. You must believe in hope even when all things seem lost. This seed can only grow on your faith in yourself and others. Planting this seed means that you can go on.
The fourth and final seed you will plant is the Seed of Courage. This seed is vital because recovery is hard. No one hand s it to you or can tell you exactly what will help you heal. You must learn this from looking within yourself and this is the hardest thing to do. But you must look and meditate and grow from within. You have planted other seeds that will help your garden to grow.
In the end you have created the most beautiful garden of all which is yourself. You are the garden all all of the seeds you have planted will help the garden grown. Give this gift of love to yourself and start to grow a beautiful flower in the Garden of Recovery.
Peachford Hospital orientation packet :
Dr. Asaf Aleem / Charge nurse Mrs. Gail Read
april fuller sasser 