Merry Christmas to all of you … From the depths of my heart to yours …

Especially to those of you who, like me, are oceans away from their homeland, on Christmas day. We know, better than anyone possibly could, how much strength it takes to go through these holidays, watching the world around us rejoice and celebrate …

Draw peace and strength in the beauty of nature all around us … When I was a little girl, it was the sea, holding me, nurturing me lovingly in her embrace, drowning my tears and cradling me within the depths of its gentle essence …

Today, so far away from my beloved Mediterranean sea, I inhale deeply the scent of pine trees in the air, I look to the majesty of mountains, the quietness of the woods to remind myself the words of Max Ehrmann in his beautiful Desiderata:

“Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here.”