3/21/16, Resurrected, Refreshed, Reborn
Hi Everyone,
I hope that all is well with you. Unless one has young, school age children, or is religious, I know that the Easter holiday isn’t always a big event in the States. It’s a bigger deal in Europe, in the Catholic countries, where everyone has Good Friday and Good Monday off, so it becomes at least a 4 day weekend. My two youngest children attended a Jesuit university in the US, and even there they didn’t get Good Friday or Monday off, and it was just a normal weekend. And although religion has always been an important part of my life, it’s a very personal choice, and I don’t press it on my readers. For both family and religious reasons, I love everything about Christmas and what it stands for, and getting my family together for Christmas. And although we enjoy Easter too, I think that the symbolism of Easter is an important one, whether one is religious or not. The essence of Easter, and the ‘high point’, the whole point, is ‘resurrection’, the rebirth, the rising from the ashes, from an extremely dark time, into rebirth and renewal. I cherish the reminder every year, and love to share it with you, while I remind myself of what it means.
We ALL have dark times in our lives. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t had them. Some people are very lucky, and nothing too shockingly awful has happened to them. But for most of us, we’ve taken some hard hits in our lives: the loss of people we love, the passing of our parents, the loss of a child, or a best friend, or a failed marriage and divorce, the loss of a job we counted on, or some really shocking blow that left us reeling from a loss or a betrayal. I’ve had my share, and probably you have too. It is a common bond we all share, the loss of my son to suicide at 19, the loss of two marriages I cherished, some bumps in my work life, the betrayal of a friend, an embezzlement I experienced several years ago from one of my most trusted employees. I worry about my kids, myself, my life, our health, my kids’ happiness, our home. We’ve all had some disappointments, and life can look pretty dark for a time, while you struggle through it. Sometimes, it looks so dark, you can’t even see the tunnel, let alone a light at the end of it. I’ve been there, and I write about it. And I’m sure you’ve been there too. And what I LOVE about Resurrection, whatever your beliefs, is that it is a reminder that not only will you make it through the tunnel, but that sometimes after one of those dark times, the light at the end of the tunnel is so bright, it’s almost blinding—–the reminder that you will be revived and reborn and renewed and refreshed and come out of it stronger than ever. Wow!! I LOVE that!! Not only can we survive the dark times, but we can rise above them, and recover from them. We can be better than ever. What could be better?
I’ve watched my kids go through hard times too, at every age, small problems when they were younger, and real life challenges as they get older: a divorce at the end of heartbreak, physical challenges, the loss of their brother, the death of their father, my late ex-husband who was a wonderful person we all loved. They didn’t always get the jobs they wanted, or into their first choice colleges, they’ve had breakups with their partners, lost pets they loved, and several of them have lost friends to accidents or illness. No one is exempt from hard times and dark times…..and just as I have seen in my own life, I have watched my children come through these dark challenges, struggle to their feet and rise again, with a feeling of rebirth and renewal, and find the strength and courage to come out of the pain of a dark time, and feel resurrected into a new phase, to go on with hope again. Resurrection is a powerful force and phenomenon or us all, and a great thing to remember while we go through the tough stuff. And every year, with Easter, we get the reminder again that life is not about crucifixion and suffering, although that’s part of it—-but even more importantly, life is about resurrection into hope and newness of life again. We get to heal, and walk away from the hard times. We have a chance to be resurrected from whatever challenge we’ve been through. It is the essence of hope.
What I wish for you, as I always do, is resurrection and renewal, recovery, healing, rebirth…..and the revival of hope in your heart again. May you feel resurrected, and may you feel brand new and alive again. And may hope be born in your heart again, and again, and again.
love, Danielle
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From Corsica with love ??????
HI Danielle, That is what I love about your stories. Yes, the main character almost invariably goes through difficulties and heartaches, which is what life is sometimes about, but that by the end of the story, everything works out and for the best. There is always light at the end of the tunnel-a very bright beautiful light.
always saying the right words at the right time.
love always,
Keyla
Just a note to say my soon to be “90” year old friend Dorothy got me (68 yr old) reading your books 4 years ago and I have been hooked!
Dorothy I will be 90 years young in June, is it possible to get a personal autograph from you for her surprise birthday party?
She has read every book you have written and waits anxiously for each new one to come out!
Thank you so much,
Patsy Holmes
Hi Danielle..Thanks for sharing your words on the Resurrection and the Rebirth…What a time of hope for all of us as we appoach Easter…
I have just finished Property of a Noblewoman and I was taken with the story…Marguerite earned my favorite character even though a silent one..I hated for the story to end and for all of them to go away without giving me more…smile..
Happy Easter to you…He is Risen…He is Risen Indeed!!!
Deede
Danielle,
Thank you for writing about the hope we all can find in resurrection. A very happy and blessed Easter to you and to your family.
Regards,
Elaine
Thank you for another lovely article. You always seem to hit home. Have a Blessed Easter. I finished your book Blue this week. Enjoyed very much. Love, Lorraine
Dear Danielle,
My own religion has become come more important to me as I got older due to not having a biological family to lean on.
“The essence of Easter, and the ‘high point’, the whole point, is ‘resurrection’, the rebirth, the rising from the ashes, from an extremely dark time, into rebirth and renewal. I cherish the reminder every year, and love to share it with you, while I remind myself of what it means.”
“What I wish for you, as I always do, is resurrection and renewal, recovery, healing, rebirth…..and the revival of hope in your heart again. May you feel resurrected, and may you feel brand new and alive again. And may hope be born in your heart again, and again, and again.”
Spot on, Danielle!
There is a beautiful, old church nearby that I visit everyday in Oaxaca, Mexico. It has a large painting hanging in the church of Jesus in the Garden on Gethsemane. He is on his knees praying while his disciples are sleeping. There is an angel in the top corner of the painting signifying Hope. I can’t imagine him knowing his most desperate hour of need was approaching.
Regardless of whatever problem I have that day it goes away when I look at that beautiful, painting because if Jesus made it through and showed us the way then I can find the strength too. It makes me feel no problem is too big.
The town I am staying in is filled with beautiful, old churches. Regardless of my own religion I always go in and kneel, pray and thank God. They are so beautiful especially at night lit up and full of beautiful flowers like lilies and roses.
I wanted to close a clip of Mother Teresa accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in the movie made about her. You don’t have to be catholic or over religious to appreciate it. Just listen with your heart. It FEELS right to share it on this particular blog as we rarely get to talk about religion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xr-fspBeIU
Truth, Wisdom, Love and Sincerity, to ALL Mankind.
Rob Scott
Oaxaca, Mexico
Thank you for the great reminder that Easter is a time of new beginnings. I have gone through some dark times myself, but at this time, I am anticipating a new and positive chapter in my life. I love the movies based on your books. However, I am now reading your books on tape. Thank you for that opportunity, as I read/listen mostly while driving. Happy Resurrection and may God bless you always.
Danielle, This a beautiful article. Thank you for your comforting words on resurrection and hope. I just needed to hear these words at this point in time. I am going through a very faith trying time at the moment and hope and pray for a positive outcome.
Thank you so much
God Bless
Joyann.