Everyone needs someone to talk to—even if it’s a journal. In “My Journal Saved My Life,” the anonymous writer describes the importance of putting her feelings and experiences on paper.

Prompts for discussion and/or writing:

• Who do you confide in? What makes him or her a good person to share your feelings with?

• Does writing ever help you to deal with your emotions? How?

• Aside from talking to friends or writing in a journal, what other things do you do to deal with problems or emotions?

• Through writing in her journal, the author gets insight into how she could have better relationships with boys. Have you gained a recent insight into your behavior? What helped you gain the insight?

Activity: Write a short letter to the author, explaining why you agree or disagree with the ability of writing to help with problems.