The Feral Housewife's Guide to

Living Authentically, Creatively, & Intentionally

Issue #101 || January 2nd, 2026 || Previous issues​

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Hey Reader,

Have you ever stopped to reflect on who has had a major impact on your life?

Can you identify one or two people, and why?

This year, I came to realize that my 7th grade teacher, without knowing it, practically saved me.

I wanted to reach out and tell her how deeply she impacted my entire inner life. I wanted to say thank you. How often do teachers hear that? I wanted her to know that teachers touch the lives of their students in ways they might not ever realize.

When I searched online for Mrs. Rocca, the only thing I found, however, was her obituary. I was beyond disappointed. Now, there was no way I'd ever get to tell her my truth.

Rest in Peace.

Mrs. Patricia Rocca

February 1, 1943 - May 25, 2022

Paterson, NJ

I wish I could tell her that what she thought was a simple classroom exercise became my lifeline. That her assignment followed me through adolescence, motherhood, marriage, heartbreak, faith, doubt, and every major transition of my life.

Well, since I can't tell Mrs. Rocca, I'm going to share it with you instead.

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Our class assignment

Mrs. Rocca made us write in a journal, almost daily, from day one of the school year.

Since I've kept every single one of my journals since childhood, I was able to pull it out and read it.

The first few months of my entries sound like a typical 12-year-old doing homework: This is so boring. I hate to write in here. I'm thinking of nothing today. Almost every day we have to write in this dumb journal. It's a waste of time.

Then one day it happened.

On November 19th, 1987. I wrote, and here partially quote, "You know maybe it isn't that bad after all to write here."

And so began a thirty-eight-year (and still going) deep love of journaling.

Most of us didn't grow up in families that talked about feelings. Self-reflection and emotional awareness weren't really a thing back then.

What we did know was how to keep going, how to stay busy, and how to keep tucking things neatly under the rug.

But that diary?

That’s where I learned to notice myself.

Writing became the place I could:

• say what I wasn’t allowed to say out loud
• feel what I didn’t yet have language for
• question things without being corrected
• tell the truth without consequence

Over time, it taught me something no one else did: how to listen inwardly.

And that's no accident.

Mrs. Rocca may or may not have known it, but this simple fact has been tested and proven by researchers.

Journaling is one of the best ways to develop the skill of self-awareness.

But not just any kind of journaling. There's a specific way of journaling that has not just mental and emotional benefits, but also physical.

Yep, you heard me correctly. Even physical benefits like lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, and strengthening your immune system. What we carry emotionally, the body carries too.

Let's take a quick peek at what Therapeutic Journaling is.

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Therapeutic Journaling

Even though I've been writing this way for decades, it wasn't until recently that I discovered it has a specific name and that people have been studying it for years. Now, I'm learning as much as I can about it via books and classes.

Therapeutic journaling is an intentional way of writing in order to heal, pause, reflect, express yourself, grow, and tap into your inner wisdom.

It's purposeful reflection, with the goal of gaining clarity or simply processing and releasing toxic emotions.

You write about not only what happened, but how you feel about it now. You write and reflect, and then end on a positive note. How would you like to feel? What have you learned? How have you grown?

It's not about complaining, venting, reliving trauma, reflecting without insight. And it cannot be controlled or censored. You must write freely and honestly.

When you write this way, you’re not trying to sound good, be productive, or create something for others. You’re creating a private space where honesty is allowed and nothing has to be resolved right away.

Therapeutic journaling gives your inner world somewhere to go.

Writing this way deepens skills such as relationships, self-reflection, self-awareness, goal-setting, and decision-making.

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Does therapeutic journaling work for everyone?

No, not really.

Some people hate writing. Some have had bad experiences with it, perhaps while in school. Some would rather express themselves through other forms of art. And that's OK.

Some people don't like self-reflection, and so they'd most likely NOT enjoy journaling.

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In Summary

I'm convinced that thanks to Mrs. Rocca's simple assignment I learned self-awareness through routine writing. I learned to pause, reflect, name patterns, and make sense of my inner world. Long before I ever heard words like processing, regulation, or emotional literacy.

Looking back, I don’t know where I’d be without it.

So this is my reminder to you:

• If you’ve ever written your way through something hard…
• If you’ve ever discovered a truth by putting it on the page…
• If journaling has been a place where you could finally breathe…

That wasn’t an accident.

The advice is simply this: write things down.

Sometimes the smallest practices shape the deepest awareness.

And sometimes the people who change us most never even know they did.

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With Love, Creativity, & Intention (and many well-worn notebooks),

Anna

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​www.aferalhousewife.com​

​https://linktr.ee/aferalhousewife​

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​ I'm Anna—a recovering perfectionist, feral housewife, and writer. I help overwhelmed women wake up from autopilot, ditch the guilt, and question the narratives they've been handed—so they can figure out who they are underneath all the roles. What you think, believe, and feel influences everything—and most of us were never given permission to listen, let alone heal. ​ Think. Feel. Write. Heal. Anna Celotto Writer & Integrative Mind-Body Coach ​