A Letter from Danielle for December ’21
Hi Everyone,
I LOVE December. And I love the holidays. Blessed with a big family, Christmas has always been a BIG deal at our home—baking brownies, wrapping gifts, seeing friends, my children coming home, and all of us flying in to be together. All of our traditions mean a lot to us, decorating the trees and the house, and spending time with each other.
We know what it is to have hard Christmases: the year we lost my son Nick was agonizing, but being together helped, and trying to find some way to cheer my family up, I organized a skating party for our good friends and their children, and it really helped. And last year, I got a taste of what it was like to be totally alone for the holidays. With Covid-19 raging, I was in France and it was too dangerous to travel home and for all of us to be together (we’re a big family), so I stayed in France and didn’t come home, and was totally alone with my 3 dogs on Christmas. It makes me that much more grateful to be together with my kids this year. I will cherish every moment with them.
Family holidays can be challenging too, at a stressful time of year and bringing everyone together. Hopefully the holiday spirit will prevail for all of you, and all our families will be tolerant of each other.
I am one of those immensely annoying people who starts Christmas shopping in August, and I try to finish all the non-family gifts by October, so I don’t have to shop at the last minute. And it’s a challenge to find things that everyone likes.
One of my very favorite books came out just before Thanksgiving, so if you have any free time at all, you can curl up with it, and have some time to yourself. It’s Flying Angels, about four nurses who enlisted in a special unit of nurses during the war to rescue the severely wounded men from the front—and flew with them in small planes to get them to safety in hospitals to save their lives. The brave women who flew those missions were remarkable, unsung heroes of their day. They were British, Australian and American. I really love that book—and hope you do too! And it would make a wonderful holiday gift if you are looking for books to give as presents.
And right after Christmas, on December 28, the paperback of my book The Affair is coming out, which will be a fun book to tuck into with in a cozy corner with after all the chaos of the holidays is over, or even to spend New Year’s Eve with if you are looking for a fun read to bring in the new year, if you’re spending a quiet night at home (which is how I like to spend New Year’s Eve—unless I’m writing a book then!!).
May your holidays be merry and bright, close to your loved ones or with good friends, may all your wishes come true, and may your holidays and New Year be filled with blessings!!!
Love,
Danielle