Sweet Christine left the world unexpectedly on July 5th. Just like that. We had all been over at my parent's house celebrating Tom's belated birthday day. We got home and the phone rang. It was Sarah telling me Christine was gone. I didn't believe it. It didn't seem real. I put the boys to bed. I finished folding the laundry. I put the dishes away. I got ready for bed. I fell asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night sobbing. It can't be real. It seemed like forever before it was 8am (a suitable hour to call others). I called my mom, even though I talked to her last night, I had to call her again. As soon as I heard her voice, I cried again. Throughout the day I talked to all my siblings, several times, but most of the time it was just sobbing into the phone, from both ends. The sadness was overwhelming. As well as the helplessness of being thousands of miles away from her and her immediate family. That part was so much harder than I anticipated.
I am 9 years older than Christine. Uncle Jim and Allison moved to SLC when she and her little sister Sam were young. Sarah and I use to babysit them. They spent holidays with us as well as other family gatherings. Then they moved back east again. But Christine came back out to U of U for college, and it was so much fun hanging out with the older Christine. I remember picking her up in her dorm room one time when I was home visiting and she helped me run a zillion errands for my wedding. She spent many a holiday with us during college and even when my parents moved to Portland, she continued to fly up to spend Thanksgiving with us. She was an honorary Stuyvesant. She fit into our perfectly crazy family. We all hurt so much when she left. I miss her smile, her sarcastic and witty comments, her amazing love for all the babies of the family (she doted on them so, each and every one of them). Thanksgiving will not be the same without her incredibly sweet marshmellow sweet potato dish she made or her way way way stiff drinks she poured (it makes me laugh when I picture my mom taking her first sip).
My little brother is a far more eloquent write than I as he wrote the most incredible story about her.
Christine, may you rest in peace. Until we meet again...
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