Believing Free online reading

Sandra Brown revisits two pivotal Christmases from her own past in this heartfelt and intimate essay. One needn't be familiar with Brown's previous works to be deeply moved by this personal reflection on the meaning of family, faith, celebration, and generosity: but fans will find it a unique and special insight into the New York Times best-selling author's life and values.

"If I were to open my Christmas memory box and peer inside, two would stand out from the rest. One would be the Christmas of my sixth year. Perhaps this is the first Christmas of memory and that's why it distinguishes itself in my recollections. The other would be a Christmas much more recent. Only one of these Christmases was happy, as the dictionary defines the word. But in the other, I found a unique joy. These two holidays were celebrated in different locations, with different family members. One was observed through the eyes of a child, while the other was experienced from the perspective of an adult. These Christmases were separated by decades. They actually had nothing in common except the date on the calendar and, for me, the debatable existence of Santa Claus...." (Sandra Brown, an excerpt from Believing)

This essay is based on musings originally published in Ladies Home Journal. Twenty years later, Sandra Brown revisits these powerful memories, creating the moving essay heard here, which she delivers in her charming Southern voice, as warm and comforting as a mug of cocoa in view of the Christmas tree.