This was a boy who was surrounded by love and he was always happy and smiling. Chris did everything early, crawling, sitting up, walking and talking. The day we brought Chrissy home his first picture was with his Daddy who was an excellent drummer and master carpenter.
He was so happy to have a son even with all the responsibilities that came with it. Chrissy use to fall asleep to his Daddy playing the drums, so obviously noise never bothered him.
His Mema and Poppy use to come and spend the day with him and his Grandma Nora use to come at night and give him his bath and last feeding. They adored him. When it was time for Chris to start school I don't know who had a harder time of letting go, me or Chrissy.
We had tried preschool but he lasted one week. I use to have to sit by the window so he could see me, but to no avail. From the time Chris was young we all knew how intelligent he was. His brain (funny thing, that was the nickname his friends gave him as he got older) was like a sponge. You told him something once and he never forgot it. Till the day he was murdered he could tell you everything from sports to current events to politics.
He must have gotten his brains from his Dad!! When Chris was in school he started playing softball. His Dad use to help the coaches with the team. Here was this little guy out on a baseball field totally oblivious to the game.. He was a riot to watch.
One of the big things with Chris when he was still a baby, was he loved to have me read to him and as he got older he read everything he could get his hands on.
When Chris was almost 3, we had a daughter Daniele. Chris had a really hard time with that because he was always the center of attention and her being colic didn't help the situation, but he grew to love her and they grew up very close. They both adored each other.
When my husband suddenly passed away on March 25, 1994, they really clung to each other. They had each other to share their feelings with. As they got older of course, they had separate lives and Chris could be hard on Daniele because he felt he was the man of the house, but he did it all out of love and wanting to protect her from animals like the one who murdered him.
He was like that with his Aunt Shannon and his cousin Jessica because they were very close in age and raised like brother and sister. They got the same lectures Daniele did.
One of the biggest taboo's for both of them was to never be around when his friends were over. As it turns out Daniele is very happy with one of his friends Bobby. It caused a lot of turmoil for Daniele and Chris and Bobby, but as he got older and saw Bobby was not going anywhere and was not using her (as he thought) he learned to tolerate it.
They are now together 6 years and I see the love they have for each other. I hope Chris and her Dad see it from heaven and watch out for both of them. She's 21 and on her own now, so I need for them to stay close to her.
When Chris was 13 and lost his Dad he was so angry and 4 years laer he lost his Poppy who he was also very close to. It was a very painful time for Chris. I was an adult and had a hard time with my grief, I can't imagine being that young and trying to mourn for your dad. He started acting out and I had to make a painful decision. When he was 17, by then Grandma Nora had married a wonderful man Steve, and I had to send him to live with them.
The one thing I could not teach this boy was to be a man. With Grandpa Steve's discipline, love and respect he grew into one fine young man any Mom would have been proud of and for that Steve will always have my gratitude and love. While living with them Chris was like a big brother to his 3 little cousins, Dylan, Cody and Stephanie. No matter what he made time for them even if his friends were waiting for him.
He had a natural love for children and pets. Grandma Nora has his Dad's dog Harley and he loved that dog as well as grandma's many cats and two other dogs.
Chris also taught his cousin Mikey how to play hockey. Chris would be so proud of him now as he is on all kinds of teams and plays so well. Chris loved to play hockey and was very good at it on rollerblades. He was a natural. He also loved to play football in front of the house when we lived on Long Island and even let his sister play.
Chris always had a sense of humor and a love for music both from his dad. He would write lyrics and sing rap (not my type of music) but it was his passion and he was very good at it. I'm fortunate enough to have some of his tapes and I can hear his voice whenever I feel the need to.
All the time doing this he was working full time at Sarah Lawrence College with Grandma Nora and Grandpa Steve. He started there during the summers at 13 and went full time after school. He worked 12-14 hour days, sometimes 7 days a week but never complained.
He had finally got his own apartment and had to take care of his responsibilities and he never asked anyone for anything. Even putting in those long days Chris always lived every moment like it was his last. Every day after work he would stop by his best friend Pat Jones house and from there he would plan what he was going to do that night.
By this time my son was an insomniac. Chris required very little sleep. So if he went out and came home at 4:00 in the morning he was always at work the next day.
He had one true love and that was Danielle (his girlfriend). She and Chris had dated briefly a couple of years before and then hooked back up when Danielle had a daughter Ariana who was 1 year old. Chris fell in love with her too! He treated her like it was his own daughter. If Danielle told Ariana no, Chris said yes. She had Chris wrapped around her little finger.
When she started preschool he made sure Danielle called him to tell him how she did and that night took them out for pizza. I called them his little family. I will never know the joy of having my sons grandchildren, but I try and make a point of keeping Danielle and Ariana in my life, because I know Chris would have still been with her and maybe had a family of their own.
Ariana adored him and after Chris died she told her Mom Chris comes to her in her sleep and they color and play. I'm sure he's still watching over her.
His relationships with his family, friends, coworkers and students at the college were very important to him. My son was very loyal, honest, respectful and had a heart of gold. He would do anything for anyone. If he made a mistake or said something to someone that might have hurt them he was man enough to own up to it and apologize. A quality I'm most proud of.
The college held a memorial for my son (which they only do for the V.I.P's) because people he worked with and his friends wanted to do something to honor his life. I heard the most beautiful stories about my son from all different types of people. I watch the tape every now and then to remind myself what an honor it was to be his Mom.
Chris was going to take a couple of classes to further his education, but that was not meant to be. He was and always will be a very strong presence not only on both sides of his family, but with his friends and everyone who loved him.
He had a smile that could light up a room and an energy that could compare to no one. We all love and miss him and want him home with us, but the one peace we get is he is with his Dad and his Poppy who we lost in Oct. 98. I know their now taking care of their boy.
He will always be in the hearts of everyone who loved him and will never be forgotten. Sleep peacefully Dear Chris with Daddy and Poppy.
