Slip and Slide

Christi (pink/left) Shayla (green/right) play in the swimming pool. (Summer 2000: Christi 3, Shayla 1 1/2)
Christi waters my old toy horse, age 4 (Summer 2001). (Yes, Tina, this would be the toy I crashed down the stairs with and ended up getting 11 stitches in my head, while you sat outside wondering, "How are they going to fit her head under the sewing machine?" Good one, sis!)

This week has been better than I expected. For the most part, I’ve been able to force myself away from reflecting upon this week last year when Christi was with Shayne out in Philadelphia and I was teaching and taking care of little Shayla. It was really Christi’s last good week before the intense pain took over and before the new tumor in her brain, discovered on Labor Day, affected her mind. I wish I would have been able to be with her; however, I was out of sick days and needed to teach. Shayla and I flew out that Friday night after school, believing we’d be flying back on Labor Day to return to work.

Yesterday, after school, I returned for my fifth semester of teaching at Heidelberg. The college has their largest freshman class in forty years. That is exciting! I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to work with such wonderful experts and working in air-conditioning is most appreciated. With temps in the high 80s and a heat index of nearly 100 degrees, teaching in my middle school room this week – on the second floor of a brick building - has been very challenging physically too. I keep reminding my students that next year we will all be in an air-conditioned school and they will feel so much better.

When I got home last night Shayne said, “I knew you really loved me today when you had me pick Shayla up.” I could only laugh! A friend and Heidelberg College student will be meeting me on campus and then taking Shayla while I’m teaching. Yesterday she asked if it was ok if Shayla played on the “slip and slide” they were planning to get out at their house. Incredibly hot out, I thought that was a grand idea. I said to Shayne, “Let me guess. You got there and the six college girls that live in that house were all outside in their swimming suits.” He laughed and said, “Yes, enjoying the slip and slide.” Shayla had a ball and said she can’t wait to go to college. Imagine that!

Christi's big cousin, Josh, plays with her in an Arizona swimming pool. (age 4)

I am so pleased to share that the sweet woman, from Canada who left the card, emailed me!!
“….. We got to both COSI and Cedar Point and I can’t thank Christi enough for sparing us the flooding. I had mapped out the route to the cemetery and had I not done that, we would have ended up in the flooding on the I-75! I tend to think that it was Christi who spared us this!
I wasn’t sure how to mention the visit to my husband. I didn’t know what he would think about visiting someone he didn’t know but he was all for going as he knows how profoundly Christi and your family has impacted my life. So we trudged through only a couple of flooded country roads and made it there. Of course, we started looking for her plot at the BACK of the cemetery. After a half hour, I found Christi’s grave. If I had been more observant, I would have seen the most decorated one when we drove in and saved a lot of time. I’d gladly do it again though!! We must have just missed you as I guess we left around 1:30……” I’ll say it again, “God’s people are good!”

What a sweetheart! I just wish she could have met Christi in person because her giggle was infectious and would absolutely melt your heart! You have had to hear it in person to really appreciate it. In my mind I can still hear it and I hope it never leaves my mind; I do worry that it will.