Review: Giving Thanks and Letting Go

I’ve loved Danielle Bean’s work for many years, heavy on the many. She is, in person, exactly as she appears in print: a little sassy, a little sweet, super cheerful and lively, and fiercely loving.

Fierce became a trendy adjective to describe women some years ago. In that context, rather than hostile or aggressive, we’ve come to understand fierce women as women who know who they are, and wield that knowledge to uplift those around them. Adding a Catholic spin to that, it means knowing whose you are, and how that knowledge not only helps you live a life of holiness, but helps you lead others to holiness.

By that definition, Danielle is a fierce mother!

Her latest book, Giving Thanks and Letting Go: Reflections on the Gift of Motherhood, reveals, in a series of reflections on the different seasons of motherhood, how a mother’s love changes and grows. Her vignettes, little peeks into her marriage and children, illustrate the sacrificial nature and immeasurable joys of mother. I found myself laughing out loud at her husband causing a scene in a delivery room (I know about this first-hand myself) and feeling the chest-crushing fear of illness as she recounts her son’s diagnosis with CF.

The anecdotes in this lovely collection celebrate motherhood in its depth and breadth. Danielle’s gift to us is her honesty — there’s no glossing over the hard parts like messy houses or feeling overwhelmed. But it also breaks open the beauty of motherhood. How we love unconditionally. How we’re sometimes insecure. How we love, and worry, and hope. It’s real, and it’s honest, but most of all it’s beautiful.