A diary is often treated like a private little habit—something you do when you’re emotional, bored, or trying to “be more ...

From hospital stays to Shabbat dinners, a few lines a day became a Jewish way of reckoning with memory, loss — and the comfort of routine. In January 2011, I wrote my first entry in a five-year diary.

Keeping a daily diary doesn't come easily to most people, but it takes less effort than you might imagine. It could also become a meaningful way to reflect and grow as a person. For more than 10 years ...