Beyond Words

Have you heard about the woman who has written in her diary for nearly 90 years? I was fascinated by the story that’s been making the news rounds thanks in part to an article in the “Washington Post.” The piece features 100-year-old Evie Riski from North Dakota who has been journaling every day since 1936. Every day! What an accomplishment! What a masterpiece!

As a writer, I’ve journaled here and there in the past and have many journals in my nightstand and in my grandma’s hope chest but it’s been a hot minute since I’ve written in one. I can however, remember like yesterday getting one of those lockable diaries when I was young and a “Letters to my unborn child” book when I was pregnant. Both were treasured and well-worn. Sadly today’s kids and moms-to-be probably won’t have the same written down memories and sadly I don’t journal per se today. We are still only in February though, so maybe it could be added to my “25 goals in 2025” list. I’ve vowed to read 25 minutes a day in 2025 so maybe I could add writing 25 words in a diary everyday in 2025. Doubtful, but you could say I document a lot!

In our technological world of photos and posts, I consider my photos a sort of “journal.” I have them on my phone, my computers, in plastic bins, and in old-school albums. I also in a way think of my social media posts and even this blog as a pseudo-journaling of my life and the life around me. I know I know, it’s not the same as what Riski has done and continues to do, but it works for me.

Riski’s journals courtesy Michelle Locken

As for Riski, she started journaling when her father gave her a diary when she was 11. At the time, there was no TV, no radio, and even no electricity, so she found comfort in writing. She’s done it ever since and has filled up stacks of notebooks that she saves in a cedar chest.

To date, she has almost 33,000 entries and continues to enter daily diary diatribes even now while living in a retirement home. I love all of this and what I especially love is that after each day’s entry, she flips back to her entry exactly one year ago to reflect on and she writes only in cursive. What a concept! Our forefathers would be proud!

Riski journal entry courtesy Michelle Locken

She has documented everything…childbirth, wars, weddings, family visits, farm chores, historic milestones, and even the death of her beloved husband Donald in 2010. When she was once hospitalized, she wrote down her thoughts on a pieces of paper and later entered them in her diary. Her commitment to writing has never wavered and in some circles, it could be influential in what’s kept her going and sharp even at 100-years-old.

According to Keven Bennett Ph.D. and psychologytoday.com, journaling can help improve mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Whether you call it a journal, a diary, or a simple notebook, writing in one can be very healthy. In today’s world, you can even do so online or on your devices. Here are just some of the benefits of journaling according to Bennett:

Stress and Anxiety. According to research research on mental distress and journaling, writing about your feelings and experiences can be therapeutic and help relieve stress and anxiety. Keep in mind that the benefits depend on how frequently you write and how honest you are with yourself when you do.

Enhanced Creativity. Writing in a diary can help stimulate your imagination and creativity. Brilliant insights and novel solutions are often the result of simply taking the time to write about a problem.

Improved Memory. Keeping a diary can help improve your memory, as you can reflect on past experiences and recall details that may otherwise be forgotten.

Boost Self-Awareness. Writing in a diary allows you to reflect on your thoughts and emotions, helping you understand yourself better. This increased self-awareness can lead to personal growth and development.

Good Mental Health. Keeping a diary can be an effective way to manage symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions. Writing about your feelings can help you process them and find ways to cope with them and it’s also a healthy way to release pent-up emotions before they influence your interpersonal behavior in negative ways.

Motivation. Writing down your goal and plans can help keep you motivated and focused.

Sense of Accomplishment. Finishing a diary entry can provide a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as you see what you’ve achieved. This can help you see how you’ve grown and changed as a person.

Strengthen Relationships. Writing about your experiences and emotions can help you better understand and communicate with others. Keeping a diary can also be a good way to express your gratitude and appreciate the people in your life. We’ve all heard about “Gratitude Journals,” something I’ve always thought are cool but now I know they’re also beneficial in so many ways.

Greater Productivity. Writing in a diary can help you prioritize tasks and make a plan for the day, which can lead to increased productivity.  I’m a big list maker and have always heard that doing so can help relieve stress as you don’t have to worry about what needs to be done; it’s all written right in front of you.

Legacy. Keeping a diary can be a great way to leave a lasting legacy for future generations and serve as a valuable source of information for future generations.

Just ask Riski’s daughter Michelle Locken about that last one. She told thedailyacorn.com that her mom’s dedication to daily entries has left a memorable and indelible mark on her family and inspired her to begin her own journal journey 20 some years.

Riski’s journal jot downs have been her steadfast companions but doing so is considered somewhat of a lost art. What’s the take-away here? I’d say “Be like Evie!” So, do you journal? I’m not certain I’m going to start but I am going to look at it differently. I do know I’m going to take Riski’s advice to “Live your life and have some fun first!” Write on Evie. Right on.

On a recent trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, my girlfriends and I went on a backroad tour of the Grand Tetons. Our tour guide and driver Callie was both fun and informative. While talking about the wildlife in the park, she told us all about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone back in 1995 and the impact it had on the ecosystem of the world’s first national park. (Fun fact: Jackoson Hole’s airport is the only one you fly into that’s in a national park!)

 A few of my friends had seen a documentary on it and said it’s a must see. I was fascinated by the whole topic and vowed to read more about it and watch the doc, National Geographic’s “Wolves: A Legend Returns to Yellowstone.” In a word; it was as good as advertised and I highly recommend it.

Now, at the risk of getting all Kevin Costnery on you, I of course have dived deep into the effects of the return of Yellowstone’s top dog.

In short, before the 1900s, Yellowstone predators such as grizzly and black bears, wolves, and mountain lions thrived alongside robust populations of American bison, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep. But a coordinated campaign by the federal government exterminated almost all of them along with bison and the last known Yellowstone wolf pack was killed in 1926 under the belief that “the only good wolf is a dead one.” Boy were they dead wrong.

Yellowstone became wolf-free for more then 60 years but with them gone and with bears and lions greatly diminished, elk populations skyrocketed and a nature imbalance resulted. The massive number of elk pushed the limits of Yellowstone’s capacity as they didn’t need to move around much due to the absence of North America’s premier predator and with their population under much weaker predatory pressure, their population flourished but put excessive pressure on plants, especially willow.

Beavers also suffered as they need willows to survive winters. These little “nature’s engineers” as they’re often called, make a big difference. The little rodents actually build huge damns, which provide essential season runoff or containment and water for fish. Bringing wolves back to Yellowstone also made a big difference and boy did they stage a big comeback.

In 1995, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone and with that, grizzly bears and mountain lions, which prey on elk, increased in number resulting and the elk population dropped. As sad as this might sound, it helped immensely. Today, willows and other plants are robust and essential beaver damns provide essential season runoff and water for fish.

Getty Images

The effects of reintroduction of wolves continues to astonish biologists but the results speak for themselves as the ecosystem of Yellowstone is back to its primeval state. Just as God made it.

I also learned from the documentary, which provides amazing photography of nature at work, is that wolves aren’t random killers but rather very selective ones and are actually very shy and don’t like people so seeing one is rare. We didn’t see any on our tour but we did see a coyote!

Doug Smith

I also loved learned that while the “alpha male” wolf is often in charge of the pack, which is very territorial BTW even with other wolf packs, the “alpha female” is equally in charge. They love their pups and male wolves take an active role in caring for them. Winter is their favorite season to prey as their webbed paws allow more stability in the deep powdered snow than those of their prey. (Wish I’d had those paws when I tweaked my knee walking in deep powder!)

Being the dog lover that I am, I also loved seeing on the documentary the differences between wolves, coyotes, and foxes. I also loved learning that they wag their tails when they’re happy and often find their way “home” to their original packs.

A quick sidenote on this topic is that upon returning from my trip and returning to my Bible Study, I was both shocked and amazed when the presenter began talking about this very subject of wolves returning to Yellowstone. Goosebumps to say the least. He reminded us that Jesus is not just important; He changes every single thing. Kinda like the wolf did. One thing changed everything. I’ll be dog gone. Chills, right?