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Congratulations to Bertita Graebner who is our IAJW Member of the Month for September 2024!

A message from Lynda Monk, Director, IAJW.org

Bertita (also known as Tita) is being acknowledged as our IAJW Member of the Month because of her long-term and consistent presence in our journaling community. Tita is often at our Writing Alone Together Circles and our ZoomChat interviews. She shares a soulful and creative energy in her writing and within her contributions to our group. I appreciate her gentle, kind, attentive, and thoughtful ways that she always shows up within our journaling community. Thank you, Tita! Please know you are appreciated.

Get to know more about Bertita in her Member of the Month Interview

Where do you live?

Menlo Park, CA USA

Why did you join the IAJW?

In August of 2019 I discovered IAJW, immediately joined the group and as an active member ever since have been richly nourished by the community’s offerings. The presence of the members during online events is always a blessing.

What do you like best about journal writing?

Journaling allows me to tack-down fleeting thoughts, to become aware of recurrent thoughts and to record my internal life.

How does journaling enrich your life?

Journaling gives me the opportunity to sort-out and root-out negative feedback loops – enriching my life by their absence.

How has it helped you?

Journaling helps me to return to myself when pulled away by events and or snagged-up in the needs and wants of others.

What is one journal writing tip you would like to share?

Perhaps the advice of the Persian poet Hafez best sums up my journal writing assist: Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.

What is one of your favourite books on journal writing or creative inspiration?

The books of Eric Maisel have supported my journal writing and my creative expression since 2006.

The one thing I would like you to know about me is…

  • I have always been a sleeper
  • About the age of 12, walking the trail home from the school bus, I found on the path an inch-and-a-half baby opossum cast off by the mother as too much weight upon her to carry.
  • The opossum spirit-guide adopted me then and there.
  • I raised this baby opossum to maturity and, when ready, she slipped off back into the woods.

My favourite part of being an IAJW member is…

The wonderful diversity and the expressive goodness of each member present on any given IAJW venue.

Anything else you might like to share…

Thank you to each and every member who shows up.

Author: Bertita Graebner is a member of the IAJW global journaling community and a regular journal writer. Bertita writes poetry as well as small stories and snippets from childhood memories. She writes bits and pieces about those whose paths cross hers and open-out over time into her life.