Chris McAvoy
I remember so clearly that cute little freckle face just staring at me as I was babysitting him while Aunt J. went to visit Gonnie in the hospital....can't remember what was going on with Gonnie or how old, exactly, Chris was - 3??? but I do remember it was apparent that he was NOT going to talk to me as punishment for being there in place of mom.
I also remember clearly many a time hearing Uncle Vincent call Chris his little lovebug....so affectionate for a father to refer to his son that way.
I also clearly remember seeing Chris taking the top of a bush off in the front of their house with a play sword and then telling his mother, "It was a ghost outside and he saw him do it."
Fast forward a few years (okay, a lot of year) and I clearly can see before us a quiet, sensitive, serious, but comical Chris who has grown into this incredibly respectable man about to start a complete life with the person he loves.
It is easy to engage or be engaged in conversation with Brett or Pat because they usually approach you in a manner that is hard to ignore. However, Chris is different. I am so glad that last year and this year, we have really had a chance to talk (at Pat's wedding in NY) and this year because of our sharing of injury time. I can honestly say that Chris is one of the most sincere people I have ever met. He took the time out of his busy week before his wedding to call and talk to me about my leg. I was so excited to see him but found that even after his wedding ceremony, I still had not been able to talk to him. I think everyone else had seen him at the hotel (Tracey, Liz, Bob-even Katie etc) and then even after the ceremony by the time my gimpy self made it out of the church, he had already been wisked away.
So here is how we finally made contact. Keera and I were playing checkers and Bob and Katie were playing chess just before the dinner was starting at the reception. We were in a back room and by about the third time the museum worker came to get us, I told Bob, "I think we really need to go to the reception because this woman is clearly not going to let us finish our games." Of course then both girls had to hit the bathroom, even though the museum woman just about had us thrown on the elevator. As we were waiting for the girls and the woman was holding the elevator, I spotted Chris, Angela and the photographer talking about how they were going to enter the room downstairs. I knew this was not a good time to go over and say hi, give hug, etc., so I decided to wait until later, knowing at some point, I would get to talk to my injury partner. All of a sudden Chris turned around, recognized me and made the effort to walk over to me, hug me, despite his about to be entrance for everyone. I was important enough to him at that moment to come over and connect with-that is someone who is so down to earth that you can't help but love him. We went on to have a little more fun later that evening as we danced one legged together.
I told Chris on the phone, in a light hearted manner because us McAvoy clan always have to joke, that once I heard about his accident, I felt physically a lot better about my injury. I wasn't just kidding though....I felt so awful the night of surgery and even the next day, but when I heard what Chris was going through and how he was pulling through it, not only did I feel a connection with him and lucky to only have what I had, but I felt motivated and inspired by what he had to face and how he was facing it. It didn't take away my pain or ups and downs over the next two weeks, but it gave me something to push for and something to look at to put my situation in perspective. I sincerely have to thank him for that.
This is the end of the road for family weddings, but I hope not the end of the road for family get togethers. Our kids love the McAvoy family and it is always fun to get together. I think beyond that, the four siblings (Tom, Elaine, Vince and Katherine) created that cirlce of love, as the priest discussed at the wedding, that stretched to spouses, children and now children's children......we are united when we need to be (distinctly remember us rallying around Amy one Thanksgiving when we all got together and the cousins only went out for dinner....we talked about the generational difference of the perception of an article Amy had written-clearly the cousins were all in support of Amy) and it looks like we are supportive of each other as much as we can be for the distance that separates us.
Here's to family!!!
I also remember clearly many a time hearing Uncle Vincent call Chris his little lovebug....so affectionate for a father to refer to his son that way.
I also clearly remember seeing Chris taking the top of a bush off in the front of their house with a play sword and then telling his mother, "It was a ghost outside and he saw him do it."
Fast forward a few years (okay, a lot of year) and I clearly can see before us a quiet, sensitive, serious, but comical Chris who has grown into this incredibly respectable man about to start a complete life with the person he loves.
It is easy to engage or be engaged in conversation with Brett or Pat because they usually approach you in a manner that is hard to ignore. However, Chris is different. I am so glad that last year and this year, we have really had a chance to talk (at Pat's wedding in NY) and this year because of our sharing of injury time. I can honestly say that Chris is one of the most sincere people I have ever met. He took the time out of his busy week before his wedding to call and talk to me about my leg. I was so excited to see him but found that even after his wedding ceremony, I still had not been able to talk to him. I think everyone else had seen him at the hotel (Tracey, Liz, Bob-even Katie etc) and then even after the ceremony by the time my gimpy self made it out of the church, he had already been wisked away.
So here is how we finally made contact. Keera and I were playing checkers and Bob and Katie were playing chess just before the dinner was starting at the reception. We were in a back room and by about the third time the museum worker came to get us, I told Bob, "I think we really need to go to the reception because this woman is clearly not going to let us finish our games." Of course then both girls had to hit the bathroom, even though the museum woman just about had us thrown on the elevator. As we were waiting for the girls and the woman was holding the elevator, I spotted Chris, Angela and the photographer talking about how they were going to enter the room downstairs. I knew this was not a good time to go over and say hi, give hug, etc., so I decided to wait until later, knowing at some point, I would get to talk to my injury partner. All of a sudden Chris turned around, recognized me and made the effort to walk over to me, hug me, despite his about to be entrance for everyone. I was important enough to him at that moment to come over and connect with-that is someone who is so down to earth that you can't help but love him. We went on to have a little more fun later that evening as we danced one legged together.
I told Chris on the phone, in a light hearted manner because us McAvoy clan always have to joke, that once I heard about his accident, I felt physically a lot better about my injury. I wasn't just kidding though....I felt so awful the night of surgery and even the next day, but when I heard what Chris was going through and how he was pulling through it, not only did I feel a connection with him and lucky to only have what I had, but I felt motivated and inspired by what he had to face and how he was facing it. It didn't take away my pain or ups and downs over the next two weeks, but it gave me something to push for and something to look at to put my situation in perspective. I sincerely have to thank him for that.
This is the end of the road for family weddings, but I hope not the end of the road for family get togethers. Our kids love the McAvoy family and it is always fun to get together. I think beyond that, the four siblings (Tom, Elaine, Vince and Katherine) created that cirlce of love, as the priest discussed at the wedding, that stretched to spouses, children and now children's children......we are united when we need to be (distinctly remember us rallying around Amy one Thanksgiving when we all got together and the cousins only went out for dinner....we talked about the generational difference of the perception of an article Amy had written-clearly the cousins were all in support of Amy) and it looks like we are supportive of each other as much as we can be for the distance that separates us.
Here's to family!!!
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