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.

Mary Julia Koch’s op-ed “My Journal Preserved My Dad’s Last Days” (Oct. 23) is a lovely reminder that note-taking can be a gift to self. I also recommend writing for others, especially those who come ...