# Have you/would you read a parents Journal Posthumously? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-would-you-read-a-parents-journal-posthumously/495468 "2009-05-05T22:12:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-would-you-read-a-parents-journal-posthumously/495468/21 "2009-05-07T09:31:28Z")
This actually sounds like the sort of thing I might want to ask them about before they died. But neither of my parents write journals, so it isn’t a problem for me. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-would-you-read-a-parents-journal-posthumously/495468/22 "2009-05-07T10:13:52Z")
My parents are the last two people on earth I would expect to keep a journal - they’re smart people but I don’t think they spend a lot of time reflecting on themselves or their lives; they both live very impulsively and for the moment. But if they did have journals, there’s no way I could resist reading them. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-would-you-read-a-parents-journal-posthumously/495468/23 "2009-05-07T11:59:15Z")
My family isn’t the kind to keep journals, but one of my father’s duties (along with his siblings) and of mine as his child has been to read old letters and papers. So yes, if I found a journal I’d read it. Heck, one of the things we got from Dad’s Mom was the manuscript of a novel written by Dad’s Dad’s Dad - and apparently people thought I could magic it into a book… I can barely read it! ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-would-you-read-a-parents-journal-posthumously/495468/24 "2009-05-07T18:28:07Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I would assume they would - I have a crate of 'em from my teen years. > > I am keeping a journal FOR my kids - recording special moments, observations, pasted in pictures etc. - mostly about them, but also including writing that reflects my POV or meaning-of-Life type stuff I ponder. > > I assume I will give it to each of them - it recently branched into two when I started having more pre-teen discussions with my son - when they are in their 20’s. It’s already, like 100 pages in electronic form…and yes, it is backed up… This sums up my thoughts on the matter. I’ve also started a journal for my kids. I’m trying to decide if I’ll start one for each one of them (once this one is born), but I suspect I’ll stick with the one - too hard to keep up one for each of them and one for me, plus blogs. But, yeah, I’d read a family member’s journal post-humously. I also hope people read my journals after I pass away. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-would-you-read-a-parents-journal-posthumously/495468/25 "2009-05-07T22:25:08Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I would assume they would - I have a crate of 'em from my teen years. > > I am keeping a journal FOR my kids - recording special moments, observations, pasted in pictures etc. - mostly about them, but also including writing that reflects my POV or meaning-of-Life type stuff I ponder. > > I assume I will give it to each of them - it recently branched into two when I started having more pre-teen discussions with my son - when they are in their 20’s. It’s already, like 100 pages in electronic form…and yes, it is backed up… What an amazingly thoughtful and selfless thing to do! I do not have children [yet] and this would be something I would love to do for my children when and if I do happen to have them. Hope so. They can read my journals, to get a better picture of me, but writing one for them has a certain allure that I really resonate with. Thanks Wordman 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-would-you-read-a-parents-journal-posthumously/495468.md?page=1)