CHRISTMAS & CHRISTMAS EVE ("BUON NATALE")

Day 3 of 25 DAYS OF HUGGING :

By October 22nd each year, exactly 63 days from Christmas Eve, Christina was hard at work planning for the 25 Days of Christmas and of course Christmas Eve.  Christmas was Christina, and Christina embodied the spirit of Christmas.  A time of rebirth, a time for family, a time to be thankful and hopeful.  

All the messages of Christmas lived in Christina all year, and Christmas/Christmas Eve were the culmination of her year and her principles. 

Christmas Eve in an Italian family is a huge event: the Feast of the Seven Fishes, the extended family gathering, the preparation, and of course the celebration.  After we got married, Christina wasted little time in claiming Christmas Eve for our families, and the party was some 30+ people in the Carinato and Pierorazio families, as she melded two families into one. 

Of course, your first and most important gift on Christmas Eve when you walked in our house was a giant hug and welcome from her.  First time attendees quickly shed “visitor” status, and if that new person was an infant, well Christina had an assistant for the evening whom she loathed to surrender back to parents.  She moved from person to person and spent time with each, celebrating their attendance at her party.  

Christmas Day was then for celebrating her family, for simple smiles and huge hugs.  Even though Christina might be cleaning until well after 2 AM on Christmas morning, she was the first one up every year, usually waking me up before 6 AM so we would see our children’s faces as they walked out of their rooms on Christmas morning.   

Yes, before you ask, of course Christina watched “Christmas in Summer” on The Hallmark Channel.  It wasn’t about the movies; it was about recharging her batteries and getting ready
for that next hug.

If only we could view Christmas and the never-ending Christmas spirit the way Christina did…

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.

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.