As I thought about why I really love to write, I was forced to think long and hard about when and why I first fell in love with writing. After running in circles in my head, my thinking brought me back to the age of seven. The year I learned to write.

Every night I would dread going to bed just out of the fear of what that nights nightmare would involve. Maybe getting in a sword fight with my arch enemy, the evil bubble, or perhaps being sat on by the not so nice scarecrow. Every night came with a new nightmare, and more often than not, each leaving me in tears. Sure I would jump in bed with my parents and wait for my heartbeat to slow to a normal rate or grab some caramel and tums to calm my stomach, but these things wouldn’t provide me with complete serenity. That’s where writing came in.

I had a notebook and pencil under my bed for my use at any given nightmare. It was the start of my prayer dream diary. I would tell God my nightmares. It was my escape.

I guess nothing has really changed. It’s still my escape. I still have a notebook at my bedside, for any divine inspiration that comes in the night or at any given moment, really. It’s still my comfort. Writing has taught me that anything bad can be turned into something beautiful, just with a pen and paper. All my nightmares and troubles could be written down to get them out of my system. Writing became my own personal source of therapy very quickly.

I started writing everything down. Anything that bothered me, anything good, anything bad. It became a habit...an addicting habit. If I got overwhelmed or sad I would write down why. I wrote down anything about everything-- Family and friends, deaths, typical high school drama; the list goes on and on. My main comfort comes from going back and reading old entries. It’s incredible seeing how God has answered my prayers. Writing reminds me just how great He is and just how blessed I am.

So I suppose I am thankful for the nightmares I get. Without them, I wouldn’t have the love of writing that I do. It’s become my undeniable comfort.