lessons of rituals

Normally when one uses the word "ritual," the first thoughts that come to me are those relating to cultural/religious/tribal custom; however, thinking about the actual meaning of it, I've began to realize the many rituals that I have for myself.

One ritual that I've kept since 3rd grade is writing in a journal. I always liked the idea of being able to refer back to my thoughts when I'm older. I used to write in my journal everyday, however that has changed...

I have continued to write in my journal throughout the years; however, my journal has changed in usage. For example, I used to just keep record of my day and what happened throughout my day in my elementary years. In middle school, I started to rant more about my feelings as equality as I wrote about what happened during the day. Later I started to write more about the key events of my days and more about my feelings and thoughts. By high school, my journal has become my escape--like a listener. I've learned to express my anger through writing instead of yelling or pushing my anger onto others near me. Especially during junior year/SAT season, I learned to write out my emotions. Through this, I became more analytical of myself. I've became more critical of myself and tried to figure out WHY I felt the way I did.

I feel that writing in my journal has become a beneficial way for me learn more about myself (as simple as it sounds....). It has also become a way for me to find my own space. Without my journal, I would probably be a little bit more different from who I am today.