What a day today is, the third anniversary of the day Christina transitioned from this life to eternal life. I can tell you that there is not a single day that goes by that I don’t miss hugging my “Goose”, or more importantly getting the breath squeezed out of me by her! I miss those hugs so much more than words can express. There are so many mornings when I wonder what today will bring and how we got in this place to begin with, something Christina asked often in those final weeks. Just like then, I still don’t have an answer, except to say that my love for her, more importantly her love for me, and my belief that she is in a better place and not suffering, are what keeps me going. I am still the luckiest person I know, always have been and safe to assume I always will be. How could I not be? To have had Christina beside me for 25 years is more wealth than the richest man in world will ever know. And I see her, continue to feel her, with me in everything I see and touch in the 1092 days since I last held her. Because of her and her suffering, I have truly become a better person, although some might offer there wasn’t much room left for me to go the other way. But still…. The people that serve on the CCCF board, the volunteers for the annual Gala, all of you who support the Foundation, and then the people that have come into our lives, I know it is all part of her plan to add purpose to my life. She taught me so much in 25 years and she has taught me so much more in these last 36 months. And I have a lot more to learn and do!!!!
Christina raised and continues to raise two wonderful children, and I know she watches over them, interwoven in their lives every day as well. She instilled them with purpose along with courage, and it is amazing to see John dive into research and giving back, and to watch Donna offer her time and considerable talents to help others, while killing it already as an incredible contributor to society. I tell John and Donna that “Mom is always with us” and that is true.
So what have Christina and I been up to? What has Christina’s suffering brought the two of us? There will be more on each of these questions and so many others of the other highlights in our lives to come, but here’s a sampling:
*For openers, Christina and I have celebrated three more of her birthdays at the annual Gala; after all, she loved birthday parties, and so many of you are all kind enough to give her presents for research and cures for cancer that have exceeded $150,000 in those three years, with much more yet to come. She is her usual grateful self.
*Christina and I have been introduced to a wonderful group of people, dragged into the Sanderson clan if you will, a great blessing in our lives even as we are there to support those wonderful people in their own struggle. They could never know or understand how much they have helped us and will, God willing, continue to be part of our lives. May we bless all those folks as much as they have blessed us.
*Christina has steered us to wonderful people at Northwestern and one researcher in particular who has a deep passion and unfortunately has endured the same pain we have of losing a loved one to this dreaded uterine leiomyosarcoma. Just ask John… He and I know “Mom” engineered this whole thing and has been there with us as we partner with our new friends, friends we made because of her, friends like you who make a difference. Check out the video on our website of Vadim speaking at last year’s event and you will know exactly what John and I mean.
*Christina and I still support the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, a passion in our lives for the last decade as anyone who know Christina knows how much she loves children, with Christina keeping us every bit involved and supportive as we were when she wrote that first check through tears in memory of John almost ten years ago. Even better, she engineered Donna interviewing for and being invited to join their Service and Leadership Institute, to be blessed the more by being with these wonderful people! I smile every time Donna does something with the Board because I know Christina is smiling with me after she engineered the whole thing!
*Christina and I had a great time at the Lyons Township “Pink Out” Basketball games in January. Oh my God, all those little girls Christina loved so much and doted over, the same little girls who hugged her like crazy at the McClure game after her cancer had come back and gave us such support and comfort…. oh my God, they have all grown up. What a night!!! Christina wasn’t just proud of her girls because they were raising money for her charity, she was proud of the amazing young women they had become. So am I! I don’t know that I have ever felt Christina with me as much as I did that rainy January Friday.
Those are just a small sample of our highlights from the last three years. There have been so very many, many more: graduations, weddings, births, and yes transitions from this life to eternal life. I will be back soon with a date for this year’s gala, some incredible work the Charity (and you!!!) are funding, the graduations from college of two of Christina’s five nieces. She will be there to celebrate with you Jenny and Maria, she will. We have much to do!!! And we have much to celebrate, and every time we do just know the party girl will be with us because she NEVER misses a good party. How about you? What do you have to do? Hug somebody? Hug somebody tight? As her pal Danny said three and a half years, no one ever hugged him that tight. Let’s give Christina a run for her money, starting today, the anniversary of when God brought her hugs back home for all eternity.
Writing a blog is something I struggled with but relented, starting with this bittersweet day. With some nudging from the wonderful folks who serve on the Board of the Christina Carinato Charitable Foundation, we hope this blog can serve as another way to connect with all of our friends. And maybe give us pause. And I am sure Christina will engineer it all….
God Bless all of us, God Bless Christina, and big big hugs to all, until we are together again!