I have been keeping a diary journal since the start of it. For one I want to be able to go back and see what all I went through to keep from repeating it and also should my children ever want to know the truth. I do my best to shelter them from it now and at times I even find myself making excuses for her to the kids (why mommy is not at school functions etc etc)

You do tend to forget as time goes on, which is a good thing but should we ever think they are 'good', the diary can remind us of the 'real' them