A Holiday Message from Dani

Happy Thanksgiving to our Family Secrets family. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, Family, secrets, Family. It's that time of year again,
the holiday. Some of us love and some of us
find challenging. Whatever your family dynamic, the holidays are sure
to supercharge whatever's there, amplifying joy, grief, confusion, heartache, conflict, gratitude.

(00:22):
Whether you're having Thanksgiving with extended family or a Friendsgiving
with chosen family, or skipping the whole thing and getting
out of dodge. I want to share a few thoughts
with you. First, I'll tell you about my Thanksgiving. This year.
I'm hosting sixteen people, and as I share these words,
I'm waiting for a delivery of an extra table because

(00:43):
I don't have room to fit all the family who
are on their way. My in laws, my husband's family,
are coming. I've known them for twenty seven years, have
watched my nieces and nephew be born, grow up, become
young adults. Together, we've mourned the loss of their gain parents,
my husband's parents. We've witnessed each other grow and change.

(01:05):
There have been divorces, new marriages, retirements, big life altering decisions.
There has been illness and recovery. At the same time,
I'm quite alone. The family I grew up in they're
all gone. I'm an only child and have, as many
of you know, a complicated family history, so there's always

(01:27):
an air of sadness for me around the holidays, a
sense of loneliness amidst all the chaos and delicious food,
game playing and laughter. It's my lot in life to
always be slightly on the outside of things, and that's okay.
I've come to understand it as a gift. Attempting to

(01:48):
shine a light on my own complicated history is what
has allowed me to write book after book. It's what's
given birth to this podcast, one in which my guests
and I attempt to shape secrecy, silence, and shame into meaning, empowerment,
and even beauty. So this Thanksgiving in particular, I am

(02:11):
enormously grateful for all of you listeners, more than thirty
three million downloads into this show. I am more aware
than ever that we are not alone, quite the opposite.
Our inner worlds form a magnificent tapestry of truth, powered
by kindness and openness. Thank you for sticking with me

(02:31):
and for the stories you share. And one more thing.
On the weekend of December first to the third, I'll
be leading my only annual retreat at Cropalu, a beautiful
retreat center in the Berkshire Mountains. It's called The Stories
We Carry, and we spend our time together shining that light,

(02:51):
writing to illuminate our own stories, to discover what's there,
to gather in community and laugh, cry, connect and draw inspiration.
Every single time I lead this retreat, I'm blown away
by the people who attend. Friendships are forged and the
insights just fly. I would love to see some of

(03:11):
my family secrets family there. It's open to every creative soul.
You don't need to be a writer to attend, just
curious and open. If you want to know more, just
go to Kropalu dot org. That's k r I p
a l U dot org and look for the Stories
We Carry Again, wishing you a happy Thanksgiving from my

(03:35):
heart to yours.