Christine A. May

As I prepare to go to Orlando I remember my last trip there---with you.  The hotel sucked but we had fun and planned for future trips with family and friends. Little did we know it was not to be, that time was too short. At least now I can look back and smile and perhaps appreciate how precious life is. Hope you are at peace. And maybe someday we can laugh some more.

i remember the laughter so much. chris had the greatest laugh. the thanksgiving walk that we took with martha lucy and bentley when lucy wouldnt leave the elephant at home and lucy kept messing with me by dropping it and making me pick it up. chris was freaking hysterical. she kept cracking up. i miss hearing that.  

On Thanksgiving, taking Lucy for a walk after dinner, "where's the bunnies Lucy?"
God I miss her and I try not to be blue because she would want me to continue
with joy in my heart as memories keep surfacing........... 

There are SO many wonderful times to remark on, so many times you helped me, sometimes in the smallest, most insignificant ways but every time made such a difference.  I have such physical problems and Chris was always thinking of how she could help me when we spent time together.  Years ago it was simple stuff like pulling on my arms to help me stretch it out.  Then there was me lugging massive pillows and memory foam to festivals to make my life a bit more comfortable, as well as helping me map out the best routes to walk that would decrease the amount of hills.  Most recently it was "switching kids" with me.  These are just a few of the physical things she helped me with and as I write this they seem so small, but they each meant so much to me!  
Chrissy also was so helpful and knowing with all the myriad of reasons she's had to give me advice over the years.  Everytime I have had a rough go of things in this life, I knew who to call, who would give me the right advice for me.  No matter what Chris had going on she always made time to help anyone who needed her, constantly giving of herself.  I am so proud of the woman Chris had become and so blessed to have walked along side her for these past 20 years!

I remember when I moved into the house in West Chester for my last semester of college and we spent the whole effin weekend putting together IKEA furniture and unpacking boxes. Our hands were so sore from the awful allen wrench. You were always so helpful. That's one of the most prominent characteristics about you. You were always willing to help me or a friend in need. Never complained, just came right in and started getting stuff done. That wasn't the first or last time you helped me move in or out of somewhere. I could always always always count on you. You never let me down ever. You were always there for me.

I talked to Chris the day after all that happened with Duke's previous owner.  She was so grateful that you called that woman and took care of that for her!!  As much as she loved Duke and wanted to insist to that woman that Chris would be keeping him, she was unable to tell someone who was supposedly also a lover of Duke that she couldn't have him back.  Big sister to the rescue for sure!!!

Oh where to start...Once Chris and I met in 1990/1, we pretty much became inseperable immedietly.  I walked home with her after school so often and became an "adopted family member" right off the bat.  We were crossing guards together at this time too.  I flew out with Chris and Sue to meet Craig in Oklahoma (which included a quite scary cramped plane ride) and while we were out there we had such a blast.  But on the way from Oklahoma to Texas on this massively long car ride, Chris came up with the still memorable. "Hook-ed on P-hon-ics Wurk-ed Fur Me" jokes that I still remember to this day.  There are so, so, so many memories of us just laughing and laughing, which I know all of you share the same wonderful kind of times.  Also part of the fun school times were all the days working in the library.  Chris and I had absolutely no desire to have lunch with the rest of the annoying people in our school so we opted to "work" in the library during that time period.  There really was no work involved just lots of fun with the dumbwaiter and hiding in the magazine room, having a blast doing nothing.  

One night you called me crying. A rare occurence to see/hear an Aries crying. I immediately was concerned. You said Duke's owner called and wanted him back. You were hysterical. "Give me her number", I said.  Like hell was this lady going to make you that upset. No way. I knew how you felt about the Dukester. Big sister to the rescue! I called that lady and told her how it was. Damn straight!

we had so much fun  S H O P P I N G at the little market!
The last time was in November when I came down for Thanksgiving.
Chris & I went to the funky market with all the different food, teas, spices......
the other shoppers thought we were a bit strange, but we had a blast!
Gun powder green tea was a must! 

Iireland was about family.....and drinking. But you better like ale or whiskey.  The rest was crap.  We laughed so hard when Sue had to teach the bartender how to make Irish coffee and had to use instant coffee. We also laughed when we realized we got the only room with airconditioning. Then there was me falling in the bog because Chris wanted a wild flower and her smuggling beer glasses in my purse. But why did it take days to get a real Irish meal? We did climb the castle to kiss the Blarney stone. Chrissey thought it as gross but took my picture. I thought the stairs.. were scarier than the stone.  Some how we were always climbing something. I look at the picture in my office of all of us at Waterford and smiile.
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Chris,

You are one amazing young women who is truly missed each and every day!

Thinking of You Christine as I do every day. Please watch over your Mom - she is so very sad now. Look after your dad and sister too. Much love for you all around......Loving you - Aunt Celeste

I'll never forget the time I taught Chris to write her name..........in blue crayon......on the bathroom ceiling....lol
Sorry mom and dad!

Italy was about fun, shopping and memories. I promised she could plan a trip if she graduated magna cum lauda. WHAT was I thinking? Chrissey and my credit card.  I think I' still paying.  Hot chocolate on St Marks Square,  hot balloon over Tuscony, impressing the locals by drinking Grappa and the shoe shopping.  But she never let me buy her any. When the railroads went on an unannounced strike.  'Let's hire car'  So we got  Armondo. He was nice , smart and cute. But we had more fun making innuendos than anything.  The vatican was great but there is something not right about the Pope blessing an ashtray and what a laugh we had buying ancient porn in Pompeii. In the end it was worth every dime.

I knew Chris would be trouble but fun the first trip we went on to Greece and Turkey. First a mere teenager convinced me to take her, even promising to pay me back. She did until I said enough. We climbed every damm mountain because that's where the ruins were. Road donkeys down Santorini's cliffs' I never didi hear the end of that. Her's was unruly. Finally in Istanbul we were at last resting in our room we heard what sounded like thunder.  The Turk's were in the European soccer finals and town center was blocked off  for the local to watch it on big screens.  Mob city and Chrissey wants to go. here we are in a city where not many knew English and the cops had UZIs.  I told her " your mom   will kill me" and Chris replies "So we won't tell her" What a great trip.

I remember when you were very young, probably about 7 or 8, you and the family had moved to PA.  MaryAnn (Grisafi then) and her two sons and myself with my two daughters came to visit you in PA.  When we arrived your Mom told us there was a ghost in the house, not to be scared. My two girls, Melissa , a few months younger than Chris and Meaghan was about 4 years old.  Chris and Jen invited them to tour the new home and they stuck by Chris and Jen like glue.  Michael and Patrick were not phased at all.  I kept looking all around me and Sue, Craig and MaryAnn just laughed.  We had coffee and talked most of the night..we went sleigh riding the next day and Sue and Craig took us to a dairy farm...it smelled soooooo bad, but it was such fun.  This was the last time I had seen Chris, Jen, Sue and Craig. 
Prior to the move to PA, Sue and Craig are known to been great comedians and share lots of laughter.  I remember Christine and Jen being the same way.  My heart aches for all of you.  Chris was taken at such a young age.  Keep her close in your hearts, I will always remember her great smile..God Bless all of you. 

Christine and I met way back in early elementary school- we were inseprable for years. As young kids we would sit for hours in her upstairs bedroom telling ghost stories...- she loved to tell one about a boy who got a nail in his knee while crawling... she gave me the chills everytime and she loved it- she also had me convinved freddy kruger was in her super creepy crawlspace closet- lol. As we got older we would lie to our parents and take the bus...pretty much everywhere...to the mall...friends houses....everywhere and anywhere- even to a few places our parents would have killed us if they had found out lol. I remember when AIM first came out- we would sit on the computer in her house (after she had moved to PA) for hours- taking turns typing, exploring chat rooms, pretending to be people we werent, laughing for hours. Chris and her family moved late elementary school- I think it was 3rd grade- but that didnt hinder our friendship at all- it actually joined our families together- and as Chris and I greew apart- our families had already merged- and eventhough we lost touch I would always hear how she was doing- and see pics from the holidays my mom would spend with her 'PA' family. I cant count the nights we would stay up for hours talking about everything and anything- I remember the shift in conversations from barbies and billy joel (she always made me act our the boy part in uptown girl) to boys and hair, and especially shoes. I remember the nights Jen must have been hiding under Chris's bed for hours- listening to our talks, waiting for the moment I stood up to go pee before grabbing my ankle- scaring the shit out of me- and Christine falling down laughing so hard she would cry. Christine and I lost touch a while back, but I can absolutely say without question that I would not be the person I am today if we hadnt been friends. She was my best friend as a child- and this entire situation is surreal. She wa a beautiful child who grew into a beautiful woman- whos time was cut way too short. I miss you dearly friend.

As we gather today to remember Chris and share memories of a beautiful soul................I see a bunch of us sitting in the back playing a silly game laughing together so hard tears were streaming down our faces.

Since Chris's desk at Family Answers is in the room right outside of my office her quiet smile has greeted me nearly every morning since she came to work at the agency.  I can't tell you how many of her co-workers came into the office on Tuesday and just stood looking at her desk after we learned of her passing.  We cannot believe that she won't be back there -- she was too important to the job that we do.  A bright, sweet spirit full of knowledge and practical wisdom that she was willing to share whenever needed.  A quiet helping hand offering support.  However, I was also lucky enough to know her just well enough to know that she had a wicked sense of humor, loved to laugh and loved to share good feelings and good times.  I also know that her love for her family (including four legged family members) was great and enduring.  I will miss her and remember her always.  I am praying that her family, friends, and co-workers find peace and ease from our pain.

I'm going to start this off, Chris was my tv buddy, she had the same taste in movies, tv, documentaries as me. We ate wings and watched TV and walked Lucy and just had a grand ole time. The memory that popped into my head today was the day we wathed the CARNIE documentary about carnival workers and it just so happened that the Nazareth Carnival was going on at the same time. So Chris and I got the idea that we wanted to go see real CARNIES in action. The carnival was only going on til 10pm and Mom and Dad weren't home yet and we couldn't take Lucy so we had to wait. Mom and Dad came home at like 9:45 and we had to rush down there, we were cracking up the whole time. We decided the guys were going to call Daves and the women Bertha's because we just HAD to give them code names. We went down to the carnival and saw some great carnies, laughed our asses off, and had a memorable time. And I could be that way with Chris. Miss her. I'm sure there will be more memories to come...