HUGS & LAUGHTER, THE ELIXER OF LIFE

Day 4 of 25 DAYS OF HUGGING:

There’s just no way to truly explain what hugs and laughter meant to Christina or how much those hugs and laughs could heal all the recipient’s pain, but if you are lucky enough to experience it from someone like Christina you know immediately of that which I speak. 

The teacher and the pupil….

In the good times and the bad, there was always a place for hugs, smiles and laughter, for better or for worse.  Early on I learned the power of those hugs, but to my chagrin I have not yet mastered the art.  Christina would tell me how to do it when she wanted a hug, but I have never quite found the secret without her there to coach me.

Even in her toughest moments, she would tell each of us to come close and hug her and she would still be able to give that squeeze.  And she would still smile, and she would laugh, even if we couldn’t.

Christina had different hugs: hugs for sympathy and care, hugs for well-being, hugs for hello, and best of all hugs “just because.”  We try to take away those lessons and memories around our house since we lost Christina, trying to get better every day and trying to be as impactful as she was.  We are getting better, but we can do more....

Please consider a donation to the charity at www.celebratingchristina.org/donate.

One day, one goal, one big hug at a time.

ELVIS & THE MIKES

Day 12 of 25 DAYS OF HUGGING:

Christina was born an “Elvis” fan; even though Elvis was gone before Christina turned 11, he was her favorite musician for life.  It was his ability to wrap the crowd, especially all those kids back then, in his voice and give them all a big hug.  She loved the music and she loved the warmth of his voice, the hug in every word.  Often she turned to Elvis songs when she needed an extra, slightly different, boost that the rest of us just couldn’t provide.

In a similar fashion, Christina formed a special bond with her two brother-in-laws: Mike Carinato and Mike Guilfoyle.   The three of them were all middle children, all very sympathetic souls, and all surrounded by type-A older siblings and classic younger siblings.  Christina made no secret of how great “the three of us middle children” had turned out, and how much luckier they were than those of us on the extreme.  The pressure of birthday parties (trying being an Italian mother and you’ll understand!), of family events, or even of hard times, all melted away when one of the Mike’s arrived.  She would say “I can’t take it Mike!” and one of the Mike’s would point at something or someone and Christina would melt while hugging them in tears of laughter.  It was just that simple. 

Even in the worst of times, the “Mikes” were able to calm Christina in a way we couldn’t because she was so worried about us.  Kind of like Elvis.  Find someone to help your “power boost” and then get back to work hugging!  That’s what Elvis and the “Brother-in-laws Mike” meant to Christina! 

May we all be lucky enough to have a  “Mike” in our lives!!

Please consider a donation to the charity at www.celebratingchristina.org/donate.

One day, one goal, one big hug at a time.

MY COUSIN JOHNNY

Day 14 of 25 DAYS OF HUGGING:

John Pierorazio, known to many of us by his stage name Johnny Vincent, was the youngest of Vince and Giovanna Pierorazio’s three children; he also was the youngest of a gaggle of mostly female cousins.   Johnny drove his sisters and his cousins crazy from an early age, and Christina was certainly not immune to it; that has never really stopped since then. 

Johnny had a way of entertaining them that kept everyone laughing and smiling, and then Johnny had a habit of not stopping until they couldn’t stop laughing.

If Johnny wants to hang out with you, you might as well just surrender.  But Johnny is ALL heart and love, all six foot five inches of him!

When Christina was hospitalized that last time, Johnny came to see her as often as he could at Northwestern Memorial and finally when she was back at home.  His jokes were softer but he still made her laugh, even in those final days; however, now he had another role to perform as a comforter and another person to help Christina on this final journey.  Johnny’s beauty is the empathy he feels for each and every person he meets, and his ability to try and make them smile.  Johnny is the only person who has ever rivaled Christina’s ability to make you feel that squeeze during a hug; he ought to be able, as he’s twice her size!  But that hug is from the heart, and that’s what provides the real power in both his and Christina’s hugs. 

When Johnny sang Amazing Grace at Christina’s funeral, every person in that Church felt his hug, and when he sings the Star Spangled Banner in public it
is amazing how everyone in the audience
feels his hugs too. 

Just one last thing: Don’t you ever stop Johnny, your cousin is watching you and counting on you to carry on your shared mission!!!

Please consider a donation to the charity at www.celebratingchristina.org/donate.

One day, one goal, one big hug at a time.

JOHN & DONNA

Day 17 of 25 DAYS OF HUGGING:

John and Donna are the embodiment
of Christina’s life.

A classic Mother’s Day picture from 2007

With their births, Christina was made complete.  She devoted herself to raising them, and as the prime observer of her work I must say she did a great job.  Donna has all her mother’s empathy and concern for others, and she is the counselor her mother taught her to be.  John is Christina’s level self, the person who looks at a situation and finds the positives in this world.  They are both great huggers and each have a different warm smile.

Christina taught them compassion and humility at an early age.  She taught them to laugh and to have a good cry when it was necessary.  When John hugged his mother that dark January day at Northwestern Memorial and told her he was relieved she wouldn’t have to suffer any more, you could feel Christina relax as she now knew that death had lost its power over her and her children.  Donna took off school to bring her Mother home for the last time and doted over her the entire time she was back home.  The two of them would squeeze each other in an embrace most of us will unfortunately never be able to experience.

Christina clearly lives among us still via
John and Donna. 

We see signs of her in so many things they do or things that happen to them, and they
are always quick to let her know they
got the message. 

If you doubt any of this, next time you see
one of them, ask them for a hug…. 

You will never doubt again.

Please consider a donation to the charity at www.celebratingchristina.org/donate.

One day, one goal, one big hug at a time.

COUSINS

Day 18 of 25 DAYS OF HUGGING:

Ahhh Cousins! 

Christina was one of some 30 first cousins that all lived within 3 miles of each other. 

And to be clear, on both sides of the family, the girls all looked like they could have been sisters!  Rarely were we on a date when we didn’t bump into a group of them out for the night downtown; Christina would rattle off six names or so and I wouldn’t be able to remember one from the other for anything.   They were a tight-knit clan if ever there was one, and most of them were girls.  Only Hugo, Anthony, Johnny (who we will discuss later), Paul, Nick, Mikey and Justin amid those 30 girls.  No wonder those guys talk about how hard it was to breathe when they were little.

They were there for each other always, everyone had a role, and Christina was the one they could come to for hugs and a sympathetic ear to listen. 

Even after we were married, many an evening’s plans changed when one of her cousins called or stopped by our first house in the neighborhood to visit.  They all learned the same lessons of compassion, family, and support.  Christina spent the rest of her life living those virtues and instilling them in her family.  Christina’s cousins were her practice for being there to help out other people, for practicing her hugs, for making you feel safe always.

Please consider a donation to CCCF: www.celebratingchristina.org/donate

One day, one goal, one big hug.

PEACE

Day 20 of 25 DAYS OF HUGGING:

Christina attended Queen of Peace High School in Burbank, IL, along with 20-some of her cousins; it was like their home away from home.  It also allowed her to branch out with a new group of friends, and she followed the family path to work at the Egg Store on Archer (if you’ve never been to the Egg Store, you have no idea what you missed in that old-fashioned neighborhood market!!!).

These were the years when Christina learned about support, support from people as her Mom began a long fight against breast cancer.  There was huge hugging to celebrate an early diagnosis of remission, and then there were hugs to support the troops when the cancer came back.  But Christina’s circle was growing fast, and there were even more people who got to share in those hugs and smiles from her new group to hug at Queen of Peace.

Christina and her cousin Laura at their high school graduation from Queen of Peace

Queen of Peace and its “brother school” St. Laurence came on hard times in the early 2000s.  Christina remained a supporter of “Peace” all those years, understanding what a close-knit group of people can mean to one other.  Through dedicated alumni and devoted staff, those two schools have merged and again are thriving as a place that can help produce more young men and women with the virtues that institution has to offer now.  To see how close Christina and her classmates remained is to understand what made Christina the empathetic and caring person she was, the great hugger.

For more on the remarkable St. Laurence and Queen of Peace revitalization story, please visit http://www.stlaurence.com/

Please consider a donation to CCCF: www.celebratingchristina.org/donate

One day, one goal, one huge hug.

PARTY GIRL

Day 21 of 25 DAYS OF HUGGING:

Something imbedded in the DNA of every Italian is a party. When I asked Christina’s dad if I could marry his daughter, he never actually said yes, but instead asked, “When should we have a little engagement party?”  I took that as his approval.

Christina loved a party; she loved hosting them and she loved being at them.  It was her chance to see people, to hug people, to laugh and to smile.  It could be as simple as Sunday Pasta Diner (that’s good for a dozen people minimum in our family) or a 500-person wedding; it didn’t matter.  If one of us was not up for being at a party, that would not cut it with Christina.  “We have people to see, you get that scowl off your face right now.”  

It wasn’t about networking or face time or any of those catch phrases we like to use in life, it was about time with others, taking their warmth and love while spreading hers and squeezing the daylights out of you. 

It was simple and honest, and worth immeasurable value.  

That smile that lit up a room was the best decoration any party ever had.  It’s up to us to remember that and keep it going.  2020 has been a year where we have all realized how much we miss social interaction; here’s hoping that when we get it back soon, we will be more like Christina and bring the gift of warmth, AND HUGS, and smiles to such special events!

In the meantime please consider a donation to CCCF: www.celebratingchristina.org/donate

One day, one goal, one hug.