[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Wow that Chrisy was such an exceptional woman! We all know it. I never actually met her but we've been e-ing for over 5 yrs, in addition to posting. I have loved her all the while, and will throughout eternity. I loved her quick wit way of seeing things and then expressing them. Was it she who suggested putting Cheez Whiz into someone's feeding tube, cause she knew she loved that treat from previous posts? She had that way about her that made you feel loved and cared for, uplifted, nurtured -- and informed! She got to know her enemy well, which is how a good Warrior works. Participating in your own wellness was her plan and she managed to eke out a batch of years past her prognosis. Her intelligence and her radiant energy could be felt by every one of us, through this board, within her clever words. Ever positive, she could find a pony in a pile of s**t... )

As she says in her words below -- she felt very blessed. And still greedy (her words) -- I'd say she was hungry --for Life! And she loved loving Life despite all the crap she had to go through, and her list was wayyyy too long. She deserved better. But she will never be forgotten, not by me, not by most of us!!

My thoughts are with her husband John and her sister Steph whose loss is deeply grievous. May they and her whole family find a way to focus on how blessed they were to have this remarkable, fun and funny, smart and sassy lady like no other in their lives. It is always too soon. But I know Chrisy would ask them to reach out and live Life with all their hearts
-- for her, by proxy so to speak...

She and I often talked about her special place -- Yosemite. It is an awesome space that touches your very Soul. I know she is at peace now. No more struggle. No more pain. Only the serenity and beauty that we on earth can see and touch occasionally when we hike through Yosemite or go to our special own place...

From CHRISY last September (9/12)



"Stage IV canserversary - 8 years

Just realized, this isn't the first time our labor day weekend plans have been disrupted!

In 2004, our plans to spend Labor day weekend doing...nothing were blown up by the words "you have masses in your liver, and it is cancer". We ran away to the Eastern Sierra.

How ironic.

That weekend we hoped and prayed I would exceed the "average" of 18 months (that was before I realized the Herceptin effect and how "off" those stats were.)

We never dreamt that 8 years later, our plans to escape to the Eastern Sierra would be derailed by...anything

Hmmmm. Feeling very blessed. And still greedy for life.
__________________
And on 4 / 19 / 13 , Chrisy wrote:
I LOVE you all and am sending you this cyber hug

I can feel it. Still...

Chrisy's Sister in Spirit,
Andi

Thank you Denise for starting this so eloquently. Thank you StephN for the pics and words. I wasn't in San Antonio but now I feel even closer because pictures say so much to our Souls.