Giving Thanks and Letting Go

Wow! I sure can relate to Danielle Bean! We are almost empty nesters and while I look back at the years with all the kids at home and I really do miss those days... I am looking forward to more time with my husband, play dates with our grandbabies and family dinners when the kids come to visit. Reading Giving Thanks and Letting Go is helping me to embrace our new season of life. 

Thank you Netgalley for a chance to read and review this book. I thought it was just wonderful.

How fitting is it that while reading Giving Thanks and Letting Go I was repeatedly interrupted by a protracted argument between kids about a board game, another kid's plea for help, and more commotion than I can even recall?

Danielle Bean has a gift for incorporating mundane details of life in an engaging way that draws the reader not only into the story but seamlessly leads to the deeper lesson she unveils with a deft and gentle hand - or word, as the case may be.

Here, through personal stories, she shares the wisdom she's gained through decades of experience of being a wife and mother and the challenges of entering a new phase of her vocation, different but no less challenging than the previous one.

My children are younger than most of the author's, but as my oldest moves through the teenage years, I'm beginning to glimpse some of the "letting go" that is just around the corner. This book provides the hope and encouragement for the challenges and transitions ahead.

I was an avid reader of Danielle Bean's blog when I was a young mother of many kids close together. I bought her first book, "My Cup of Tea" and her second "Mom to Mom, Day to Day" when she came to my area to speak. I've missed a lot of her books in the last 10 years, but was excited to have a chance to preview this ARC on Netgalley.

Meeting her again in the pages of this book felt like catching up with an old friend. It was great to reminisce and to see how her family has grown. I appreciate, as I always have, the way she shares her struggles, along with the spiritual lessons she has learned - and is still learning - so that I can learn from them, too.

As soon as I turned the first page, I was completely hooked by Danielle Bean’s writing. I was hoping for a good read in “Giving Thanks and Letting Go”, but I was unprepared for the way it would resonate with where I am in my own family journey. Her words were encouraging, poignant and soul-filling. She write how she wanted to, “underscore these things in my own heart, and I want to share them with you.”, and that is exactly what she does.  The laughter and tears mingled as I read through stories of she and husband, Dan, raising their family. 
I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who are close to becoming or have recently become empty nesters. Buy it, sit down somewhere comfortable with a glass of your favorite beverage, and enjoy!  I’d also recommend that you have a box of tissue close by as you’ll most likely need it. I am not just glad that I read it, but I am so grateful that it taught me more about what it means in “Giving Thanks and Letting Go”.

Giving Thanks and Letting Go by Danielle Bean, might be one of the top books I’ve read about family life and mothering and trying to live a solid Catholic life with all the highs and lows of growing children and changing lives.  I feel as though I am currently in a special place where I can still relate and have all the feels of younger babies AND older ones who are in college and moving on with the ages of my own children.  She does such a beautiful job of writing that makes you feel every single thing she is saying.  From the memories of difficult pregnancies and feeling as if you are all alone in the world (which she reminds us we are not) to the painful stretching of adult children growing up and traditions stretching and growing and changing with them.  I was reminded of how my relationship with my husband has also grown and changed and stretched and how we must always turn to God and each other with each passing year.  I laughed, I cried, I shook my head in solidarity, with each chapter.  You will not be disappointed with this book.  In fact, it’s perfect for all women in all stages of life.  From the newly married to the seasoned long empty nesters.  She speaks to each one of our hearts and encourages us from a point that is truly a gift from the Holy Spirit.  I plan on purchasing a copy of this book for each of the beautiful women in my life.  It is that good.

What a gem!  This book is an encouragement to moms of all ages.  As a mom of seven myself with an emptying nest of my own, I really connected with this book.  It is difficult to navigate the various phases of life, especially when they are new to you.  Some things you just have to experience to understand.  Sometimes you just have to be merciful to yourself and realize - "Hey, I've never mothered a 22 year old before.  I've gotta figure out how that looks.  And yes, I'm gonna make mistakes.  But I'll get the hang of it."  Danielle Bean is right there with you, cheering you on.  She writes vulnerably about her own family and their struggles and successes while respecting those close to her.  She lets you know that you're not alone.  We're all trying to find the balance and peace in each new phase.  It's ok to feel the losses.  Just don't stay there.  She's such a support no matter the phase you are in.  Reading this book is like having a cup of coffee with a dear friend.

In a society that seems to value an empty nest, it can be hard for mothers to watch their children grow up and learn to fly. Danielle Bean understands that like mothers of small children, mothers in this season of life can also feel like they are navigating uncharted waters.  Her words offer us clarity and companionship while always steering us back to our heavenly father.

As a longtime fan of Danielle Bean’s writing, wit, & wisdom, I was pleased to receive an advance copy of her soon-to-be published book, “Giving Thanks and Letting Go” and I was not disappointed. Using her own personal experiences as a mother of eight, she encourages mothers to find joy during all moments. Because she touches on all stages of parenting, this is a book that can be read many times throughout the parenting years, sparking a new level of support each time. No matter what parenting trenches we’re currently filling, she assures us that we’re not alone. Through the dirty diapers, runny noses, school activities and assignments, graduations, colleges, and marriages, God is there in the gaps. 

A mother’s identity can be wrapped up in her family ties. We make sacrifices for our families, especially our children and can often get worn down and frustrated. By reminding ourselves that we are, first of all, God’s daughter above anything else, we can then make it through any of those rough patches that occur. One of my favorite quotes from this book is that God is in the “…gap between what strength I have left and what I know still needs to be done.”

Danielle Bean is a mother of eight and only half of her kids live under her roof at this point in her life. Her nest is emptying for sure and she writes about it in a conversational and down to earth style that I love very much. Her words are from the heart and she speaks them into our hearts. She is like a best friend rather than a preachy, holier than thou, know it all person. It was as if she was in my kitchen having coffee with me and we were musing about our changing families. 

Every season of mothering has its own beauty and Bean helps us find that beauty in our everyday lives by writing about love, sacrifice, and grace. I enjoyed it very much.

As an almost empty nester myself, I was drawn to the idea that Giving Thanks and Letting Go by Danielle Bean would give me a Christian perspective on how to face this impending adjustment.  Despite the synopsis on the back of the book, however, this book is as much about navigating the waters of current motherhood and reflecting on past transitions as it is about handling the prospect of an empty nest.

Once I let go of my pre-conceived notions about its content, I found Giving Thanks and Letting Go to be a beautiful tribute to motherhood in all of its stages.  Ms. Bean’s writing reveals the heart and soul of a mother whose hopes and dreams for children exceed those she has for herself.  Her struggle with coming to terms with her “new normal” as one after another of her children are launched into young adulthood was at times poignant, joyful, and humorous, and at all times relatable.  Especially wistful was her reflection on taking the youngest of her eight children to register for sports for a final season.  Having been an active “sports mom” for well over a decade, I, too, felt the tug of yearning when my youngest aged out of Little League. 

Sometimes a book gives you, not what you are looking for, but what you need to hear.  Giving Thanks and Letting Go did that for me.  Not only did it remind me of the innumerable joys associated with my children’s milestones, it allowed me to reflect on my own journey as a mother, giving me hope that I can face tomorrow’s empty nest as gracefully as its author.

Note: I received an ARC of Giving Thanks and Letting Go from NetGalley and Ave Maria Press. The above is my honest review.

Giving Thanks and Letting Go by Danielle Bean is a fantastic read. This book is perfect for all moms, no matter your stage in life. The book does a great job showing the importance of remembering that as moms we are assisting our children towards their future, ultimately towards sainthood. Danielle Bean does a fantastic job showing that through the ordinary tasks of motherhood, we can do great things for our family. Ultimately to remember that we must be grateful for all God has given us and to let go when it is time for those little souls, who have been borrowed to us for only a short time, must spread their wings to follow their God-given path. A full review of this book will be available on my blog http://www.loving-these-days.com within one week.

Danielle Bean's latest work, "Letting Go," is a gem - one that I know.i will revisit many times as my kids head into their teen years and beyond.

I devoured this book over the course of two days, reading intermittently when I had a moment it - the brevity of the chapters worked well for this. As I read, I  wanted to highlight almost every sentence. We're still a good 5 years from launching our oldest into the world, but reading this book NOW has given me a lot to think about in terms of shoring up our marriage, appreciating the ordinary, and remembering that these kids are God's, not ours. One of the most encouraging things Danielle shares is that each season of motherhood is different - not a bad different, just...different - and that there is joy, sorrow, and much to treasure in each season.

Also, get some tissues. I've shed tears of sadness, joy, and gratitude and I was unprepared for the waterworks. Friends don't let friends read this book without tissues.

**I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

I've always loved Danielle's writing, and this book illustrates why so well--she writes from her heart, honestly sharing her experiences of marriage, motherhood, and faith in a style that's conversational, accessible, and lovely. These essays span many years--from her marriage, the birth of her children, their marriages, and leaving home and making their own homes across the country. This is a book that any mother can dip in to and find support and sustenance for herself.

I am a daughter and I am a Mom to a college age son and last year I had to let him go . He’s now a college student finding his own way as I did -and I am trusting in God to keep him safe, And to know his parents are here for him. Just life my parents did for me.

With so many feelings, all together, at once – joy, sadness, elation, worry, trust, watching them move forward while wanting them to stay small. It can be a big jumble. Daniele has written about the joys of this season of parenthood when we reap a bit of what we’ve sown.As our children find there legs and Soar. It can be crazy but oh! so wonderful

It was an absolute pleasure to read about Danielle's love, hope, struggles and transformation of herself throughout each of her 8 children's lives. It is a journey which has not finished yet, but Danielle's reflective pause in the middle of all of this is beautiful. 

Danielle writes her book as if she is standing with you amongst the gifts (and trials) of motherhood. She inspires you to believe that each stage is a trial and encourages you to keep going no matter how tough the situation, but to believe that God is right there with you. 

This book should really be on every mother's bookshelf! Her reflections are not comedy, like some books, but are a stark reminder of the many sacrifices we women ( I won't include men as it might be completely different for a father, but it may be worth a read to get some ideas and discussion going) go through to lift our little ones the best we can before their soar into the big wide world.