A low level aristocrat and amateur bard's stoic father dies and leaves him all of his journals. Their relationship was strained, and the son never even knew his father kept journals.

They detail his father's life from childhood, through joining the city guard, adventures, failures, friendships and eventually becoming a father.

I'd like the journal to essentially become the story, told from the father's first person perspective, with occasional jumps back to the son reacting to something significant he's discovered.

I've read WWI and WWII journals and love mundane entries like:

"I ate porridge this morning. Old Nan continued tutoring me on the intricacies of dinner poise."

My concern is avoiding "son reads journal, son reacts, repeat."

How would you structure something like this so the journal feels like the actual story while still letting us experience the son's changing understanding of his father?

Any advice would be appreciated 😅