Christmas Every Morning

by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Krista Mueller admitted her mother to the care facility run by Dane McConnell–Krista’s friend and former love–knowing that Dane could take better care of Charlotte than Krista ever could. Besides, Krista has long since stopped actively caring about the woman who has hurt her so deeply through the years. Her intention is never to see her mother again. Then Dane informs Krista that he has found something of her mother’s that Krista simply must see.

Unable to refuse the man who still means so much to her, Krista sets out for Taos–thoroughly unprepared for the dramatic journey of discovery that leads to a deeper understanding of the mother who emotionally abandoned her and brings back to the lost love of her youth.

A story of joy and loss, connection and forgiveness, Christmas Every Morning presents each day as a gift to be opened and every loved one as a treasure to be rediscovered.

Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Womens Fiction, Christian, Contemporary

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2002

About the author

About

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 60 books, with more than 4.5 million copies sold. She recently released The Sugar Baron's Daughters Series (KETURAH, VERITY and SELAH), and recently finished a teen series called Remnants (SEASON OF WONDER, SEASON OF FIRE, and SEASON OF GLORY). She's also written the River of Time Series (WATERFALL, CASCADE, TORRENT, BOURNE & TRIBUTARY, DELUGE) and The Grand Tour Series (GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS, GRAVE CONSEQUENCES, GLITTERING PROMISES), time-slip romance duology called River of Time: California (THREE WISHES and FOUR WINDS), and some contemporary romances (ONCE UPON A MONTANA SUMMER and ONCE UPON AN IRISH SUMMER are the newest releases).

Lisa’s time is split between managing home base, writing, consulting and helping Tim with his business. Her husband Tim is a sculptor of ducks-out-of-fenceposts (RMRustic.com), graphic designer and musician. They have three big kids–Olivia (who just got married), Emma (who is about to get married) and Jack (who is a junior in high school).

The Bergrens make their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Reviews

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krista's mom begins to have symptoms of early onset Alzheimer's when Krista is young. Having always marched to the beat of a different drummer, Krista's mother and single parent becomes even more difficult as the vagaries of the Alzheimer's makes her more detached and Krista becomes the parent in the household. Now years later as Charlotte lays dying of congestive heart failure, Krista must learn who Charlotte really was, what love her mother felt for her, and how to forgive her for not being the mom that Krista wanted.

Bergren did an excellent job of exploring this complex and difficult relationship between a mother and daughter. I love the way she showed how expressions of love through memories such as dance and the Christmas room can reach into the depths of the mind lost to Alzheimers. Also the support of friends such as Dane and Elena allowed Krista to look back, and then with God's help to forgive, reconnect and once again love her mother.

Bergren wrote one quote that to me was the essences of this book:

She is in the Christmas Room at the care facility - "in here it's Christmas every morning. ...what a gift that is to all of us.....If I could just remember Christmas every day of the week, it would change my whole mind-set. Jesus is here. He is present. He is alive. And he came for me."

[Karen R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoughtful book about an adult daughter facing her mother's imminent death from Alzheimer's, and her need to forgive her. The author skillfully weaves the mother's backstory in through letters and journal entries, as well as Krista's personal recollections.

The saying about "walking a mile in their shoes" kept coming to mind as I was reading. Felt it summed up in the line, "Grace is like that. The more you give, the more you gain." Peace comes when we forgive, and in this story it has wonderful results. Had to reach for a tissue more than once.

Loved the character of Dane, with his compassionate and innovative ways to help people with memory loss. I would love to work in his nursing home, it sounded so good! Such a kind and faithful friend too. *sigh* The descriptions of the high desert around Taos set a beautiful backdrop too.

Not a happy little Christmas story, but a good read for anyone struggling to move forward in life from a hurtful past, at anytime of the year.There is a bit of romance mixed in to sweeten the story too.

[Shirlene]

37 yr old Krista Mueller lived and worked as a teacher in Colorado Springs. She hadn't taken her father's name and never knew him. Her mother, Charlotte Mueller was in Cimmaron Care Center in Taos, NM suffering from congestive heart failure and had Alzheimer's. The doctor who ran the hospital, Dane McConnell was an ex from high school and he called Krista to tell her to she needed to come see her mother because she was dying. Krista had only been to visit three times in the five years her mother had been there.
The care center was built on land that Dane had purchased from Elena Rodriguez who was a friend of both Charlotte and Krista. She was now in her 70's.
Dane told Krista that he had an early Christmas present for her and would give it to her when she arrived. He gave her an old Christmas Carol book he had found that Charlotte had used as a journal. It was full of notes, pictures and news clips. Krista began reading through the journal to discover the mother that she had never gotten along with and never really understood.
Charlotte had met and married young. Her first husband was Lt. Gordon Cooper. He had left home four days after they married and never returned. Charlotte had studied and became a nurse for the military during WWII. Charlotte was close to her parents but suffered from bouts of depression that came to light after Gordon left to fight in WWII. He never returned home. There were letters in the book that Gordon had written to Charlotte.
Charlotte drank a lot and went out often with numerous men. Charlotte met and married Marcellin Mongeau during her time as a nurse. Marc was a news reporter and he and her mother spent years apart at a time until he went overseas and never returned. Krista realized as she was reading through her mother's book that Marc had left her mother and had given her no choice but to divorce him for deserting her. Krista had always blamed her mother for keeping her from her father.
Charlotte opened a dance studio after her time serving in the military as a nurse was over. Krista was often left to take care of herself while her mother went barhopping. Krista started driving Charlotte to bars once she turned 15. Her mother was already losing her mind by then and her grandparents had died when Krista was 10.
Dane and Krista met when Dane's mother enrolled him in Charlotte's dance studio. They began dating when they were 15 and broke up when they were 17. Charlotte had a new boyfriend that Krista didn't like but she was glad that her mom had someone to keep her occupied. When Krista was sound asleep one night, her mother's boyfriend came into her room and raped her. Krista's life changed that night and she was never the same again. Krista had never lost the anger she had towards her mother for not protecting her. Mother's were supposed to keep their children safe. Her mother hadn't done that. Krista had since learned it was typical for Alzheimers patients libido to increase as they were losing their minds. Charlotte's lifestyle had brought a dangerous man into their house. Krista and Dane had never gotten back together and she never told Dane him why she kept him at a distance.
Elena and Charlotte had become friends because they had both lost their husbands. Elena's had died of cancer and Charlotte had divorced Marc. Elena had come to the house that night to check on things and found the boyfriend on top of Krista. She beat him out of the house but the damage had been done. Elena was sorry that she hadn't arrived sooner but she was there for Krista and always would be.
Krista stayed with Elena when she came to visit her mother. Dane had tried to kiss Elena during this visit. Krista still couldn't get past what had happened and she went running back to Elena's after his attempt failed. Krista wanted to kiss him but just couldn't go through with it. She knew that Dane was frustrated. Elena told Krista that it was time that Dane was told. Krista agreed but knew it was going to be difficult.
She told him the next day and he was shocked that he had never figured it out. He knew there were unresolved issues with her mother but he never imagined anything so severe. He told her that he had always loved her and would never let her go. They kissed then and Krista knew the healing process had finally begun. They were interrupted by Dane's beeper going off. It was Charlotte.
They went to Charlotte's room and Krista asked that they not let her die yet. She had things to tell her mother still. She read some more of her mother's writing and talked to her mother even though her mother never responded. She talked to Elena too and they prayed together.
Throughout this process of learning about her mother, Krista began to remember that there were not only bad times but she recalled some memories with her mother that were good ones. She learned to forgive her mother for things that happened that were out of her mother's control. Some things were just not Charlotte's fault. Krista learned to let go. She told her mother good-bye on Christmas day and her mother gave up and allowed herself to die. Krista had forgiven her mother and realized that she loved her. She had wasted many years holding onto the hatred she harbored. She learned to trust in Jesus again throughout this healing process.
Charlotte's funeral was three days after her death. She and Dane talked and they both knew that they loved each other and always would. Dane had overheard Krista telling her mom before she died that she was in love with Dane and that he would take care of her. She told Dane that she was going back to Colorado to resign from her job and she would be coming back to him. He was her future. He had brought her back in time to work things out with her mother before she died and Krista had done that. She had learned the meaning of true forgiveness and would get over her past with help from God, Dane and Elena. She would be a good wife to Dane.

[ShareStories · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 32 year old woman deals with her mother's last days in a nursing home that has a "Christmas Room" that is set up all year long for the residents.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another grab at a thrift store book as I was on a mission to find Christmas stories. I was thrilled when I finally read the plot to see it dealt with Alzheimer's. It hit home as sadly Alzheimer's took a spot in our family. I also recently had chosen Alzheimer's as one of my main charity focus areas. As I read I honestly had mixed feelings about the book, I wasn't thrilled with the romance factor but grew into it as the story formed. I loved the concept of the center for those with Alzheimer's in this book and I'm thankful times are advancing to create such places in real time. As for the story I was glad to have read it, it makes a person think about life in general and how easy it is for us to fall to the negative side of life. As I finished this book, our family had to deal with a blow of accidently pet death, while completely different topic - the basic idea of being there for people and taking the good and bad with life played a role in dealing and healing. There are reasons for everything and sometimes we had to wait and 'see' the entire story much later in life. Take time to know and care about those around you while you can - don't wait too long!

[Ellen Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the story about a 38-year-old woman, whose mother has Alzheimer's disease and is dying. She grew up in Taos, where her mom has been in a home for those with impaired memory diseases. The home is operated by a doctor she dated in high school and had known all of her life. She has major issues with her mother and must resolve them before her mother dies.
A huge secret, her personal relationships and all of her emotions and memories are uncovered in a wonderful way. It would be lovely if homes like this, where kind, compassionate care is given, existed in every larger town in each state

[Shirley Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books are hard to read. Not because they are written poorly but because of the material. The topic of Alzheimers was handled well, but it is definitely a hard topic. Then there was the daughter struggling for a connection with her mother who is beyond connection. I'm never super fond of books that take the "if you only try harder" stance. This book skirted close to that.

[Alice Teets · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick little read (once I got into it) about a woman's forgiveness towards her mother and herself while saying good-bye due to Alzheimer's. It was a lot more religious than I expected, but I enjoyed it.

[Jane Hoppe · Rating 3 out of 5]

[SPOILER ALERT]
Dane calls Krista to say her mother Charlotte is dying. He runs the memory care center in Taos where Charlotte has lived for some years, and he knows Krista has unfinished business with Charlotte. And Dane has unfinished business with Krista. In this novel, Lisa Tawn Bergren shows Krista’s unraveling and reweaving with the help of faithful family friend Elena and Christian principles and prayers. Christmas Every Morning is a good, solid story of 37-year-old Krista Mueller’s rediscovering her love of Taos, New Mexico, high school boyfriend Dane McConnell, and her mother’s love.

Bergren’s descriptions of Taos scenery and traditions are lovely—colorful and warm. I found mostly realistic portrayal of ravages of Alzheimer’s disease and memory care centers. Dane and Elena seemed a little too perfect, but Krista’s and Charlotte’s emotional messiness made them more believable, in my opinion. I liked the organic way the characters’ relationships with God played into the story.

My favorite takeaways from Christmas Every Morning:
Forgiveness is greater than any failure. [book jacket]
I had gotten so lost in what I didn’t have, I’d forgotten what I had. [page 208]

[writer... · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally impacting, this story introduces readers to a contemporary young woman struggling on several levels of her life. She has received the final call to her dying mother's bedside. A mother she hasn't seen in years and with good reason, our protagonist, Krista, believes. What in her past has influenced her perspective? Upon arrival in her home town, she is confronted with more unwanted memories of her past with the care home founder and director re-entering her life. At one time her boyfriend, what is keeping their relational dance from taking a new turn?

It is a story of inner turmoil as Krista struggles to come to terms with the influence of the past on her present. And the future awaits her decisions. Insightful treatment of grief and loss was powerful, while hitting close to home for me in having lived through this scenario just one year ago with the alzheimer related loss of my own mother. As the author herself wrote in the closing, she had difficulty in the writing of the story. As I had in the reading. Grieving takes time, but it's only in grieving that we heal.

Ms Bergren's writing is remarkable in the accuracy of scenarios with alzheimer patients and the end of life realities. Vivid representation of the protagonist's inner wrestling and struggles regarding relational connections are emotionally dynamic. Valuable and recommended insightful reading.

[Redfox5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice story but in a sad way. It deals with Alzheimer's and forgiveness. There was a Christian undertone to the whole book but I was expecting that and it wasn't all in your face. I'm so glad that I do not have that kind of relationship with my mum. So many wasted years between Krista and Charlotte. Lifes to short to hold grudges like that. I liked the way we were given little insights into Charlotte's life by way of the diary. Maybe not the best read if your looking for a jolly and upbeat christmas story....or if your hungry. To much food talk, I'm going to have go vist Chiquitos now!

[ND · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book and I'm glad that I read it during the holiday season. I could identify with the main character's emotional struggles with her mom's illness and I enjoyed watching her transformation. This book was a reminder of the power of God's grace and of the ways that unforgiveness holds us hostage and hinders our hearts from receiving the love that is offered to us. I also think that this book is a great read for medical professionals, especially gerontologists, and anyone who has a family member suffering with Alzheimer's disease. It was a great read and I highly recommend it.

[Shannon Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story about forgiveness and grace. The author deals with some pretty heavy subjects--mental illness, restoring family relationships and the journey to Heaven--but she keeps you reading. The heroine, Krista has issues but is very sympathetic. Dane, the doctor, and long, lost love of her life is funny and compassionate. I laughed. I cried. I will certainly read this one again!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome writing once again from Bergren regarding a character dealing with her own struggles of love while connecting with her mother whom has Alzheimer's. I love the way Bergren is able to keep you connected with her writing, and the research she'd done on ALZ; & would love to find a place that put this much time into their ALZ patients.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As she reads her mother's journaling and renews friendships with the people she loved, but left behind to avoid life with her mother, Krista Mueller gradually gives up the pain of her childhood and finds herself able to embrace life and marriage. Many of the interactions were manufactured and made the story too predictable.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd prefer to bestow a 3 and 1/2 star rating. (However, due to structural/operational limitations, my gut says 3 stars versus 4.) I will carry some of the beauty this book shared in my mind and heart.

[joy *the clean-reader extraordinaire* · Rating 2 out of 5]

i only got so far into this one because it was the last, lonely, unread book on my library shelf, and it would be one more day before i could get back there to pick up more. nothing particularly wrong with it, but supremely underwhelming nonetheless.

[L.M. Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was very emotionally hard to read in places as it tells the story of a woman estranged from her mother. What makes it even sadder is the fact that her mother cannot communicate with her anymore due to her illness. The romance in the story is an added bonus.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the way the author took her time in explaining things about Krista, nothing was rushed . It was a good way to thread her story with her mother's. This is a story of joy, ultimate forgiveness & love. I look forward to more books from this author.

[Marnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having experienced some Alzheimer's in my family, I appreciated and enjoyed this book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book!

[Gena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book mostly because I could actually picture New Mexico and the towns mentioned - and the food. Good story.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable, slow moving, & a bit corny at times. Would not recommend.

[Adrienna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the author's note, but aside from that, this is not a typical read for me and couldn't be engaged with the story as I read 60+ pages.