Today we spent some time sorting through boxes that are going into storage. In one box I found one of my greatest treasures: my first diary. It’s a little Zimbabwean pocket calendar with an image of a Flame Lily on the front. Each double page has 8 blocks, one for each day of the week plus one extra for notes. And each month is separated by a beautiful picture from Zim.

It’s hard to believe that I was only 10 years old when I started trying to do daily writings, more than 15 years ago. I remember finding it incredibly challenging, despite being so brief. And the journal does run out of entries by about mid April. But it’s a stunning effort all the same.

The page I’ve taken a photo of above was a very memorable week. There were protests in Zim on the Tuesday and Wednesday, and people stayed at home (technically it was called a “Stay Away”). I also made it in to the tug of war team, which was my only major athletics achievement at the time (and is probably still the peak of my athletic career).

I’m incredibly proud of myself for keeping this journal. It provides a beautiful glimpse into the past, allowing for reminiscing and reflecting.

And in 15 years time, when I’m 40, I’ll look back at these #25of365 blog posts with the same admiration.

A sneaky picture of a Flame Lily

Image is of my first ever diary, taken in our old garden this afternoon.

Song of the day: DJ Kent ft Dominic Neill – Love you still

Blog: 172/365