god bless you always...

Char, thanks for sharing this memory. I think we all have a favorite cousin or uncle who spoils us and is really "cool". I'm sorry you had to lose yours so young.

I was miserable. I had the Chicken Pox. The bumps, the fever and the nausea were too much for my little body to handle. Yet, somehow this rite of passage was no match for Chris' kindness and care. When I was with Chris, all the rules in life seemed to change. If you wanted to eat enough sugar to trigger a diabetic coma, go for it. If you thought that cereal for dinner felt right, have at it. Pour Pepsi over it if that is what suited you. There I was, too sick to move, so he bundled me up in one of Grandma's wonderful, hand-made blankets and I got to sit dangerously close to the television with him. So close that most people would have been certain we were going to lose our vision allowing our eyes to be assulted by the flashing colors of the screen at that distance. I vaguely remember someone making a remark to him about the threat to my optic nerves. He didn't move me an inch. My guess is that he shot them a dirty look, if even even acknowledged the statement at all. I was sick, he was taking care of me and I wanted to sit as close to the television as possible. That was that. In true Chris fashion, everyone else could "Fuck Off". (There is another story about his use fo the effword...which we can get to later.) Eventhough I was feeling terribly ill physically, I distinctly remember feeling very happy and content as I fell asleep hundled in Chris' arms directly in front of that massive screen. He helped me feel safe, warm and perfectly protected. He made me feel completely cared for and truly loved.