Sunshine lady

There is a woman I know. Her name is Christine Grobart. She is blond, cute, has an infectious laugh and is funny, very funny.

I heard about her and met her a few times when our oldest sons went to the same preschool.

That was when I heard about her second born Tim--a little doll of a boy who was born with a rare heart condition.

I remember there was a fundraiser conducted for him a few years ago towards which I donated on a website and sent prayers and good wishes. Sadly, though, I hadn't made much of a personal connection with the Grobarts although I wished them and little Timmy well.

Soon we left for India.

When we returned and my son started school, many times we'd walk to and from school. Especially on bright sunny days. And on every one of those bright sunny days when I'd go to pick my son up after school, there would be Christine sitting under this shady tree outside the school building along with her cherub of a baby girl and Tim fooling around with his bright pink stroller, all waiting for Christine's oldest.

And as if attracted to a honey pot would be around her like a small swarm of bees, other moms and babies.

The laughter under this tree was loud, the mood sunny. And at the center of it all was almost always Christine--saying bright hellos to all, telling stories, laughing.

And to this I began to look forward. If there was no Christine under the tree the day was most likely a rainy or dull one. If she was there, it was anything but.

She became sunshine lady. I looked forward to running into her, sharing some laughs, basking in the bright day, even if it was only for a few minutes. For as soon as the bell rang and the kids began streaming out, the spell would break and it was time to go home.

Christine truly is an inspiration for her positive attitude, her being able to laugh about dealing with Tim's condition, staring life in the face. And often even making fun of it all.

Please if you are reading this, consider visiting her blog (link below). And please also consider making a donation towards the Grobarts' efforts to give Tim the best possible medical attention he can get.

littletimmygrobart.blogspot.com I hope I have told Christine how much she brightened my days this past fall, especially since I was often in dark places pondering the wisdom of my decision of choosing to return to the US after spending a year back in India. And just those few minutes spent laughing with her and her swarm of bees was therapeutic. It is unfortunate how often we don't tell people how much we admire them. And so I am saying this now...Christine, you inspire me to be brave and smile and laugh. It is always a pleasure to run into you and your kids and to share in the banter. I hope to keep doing so as brighter days beckon... From Christine's blog: Tim suffers from a rare heart condition in which the lower half of his heart operates in reverse. Instead of the stronger half of his heart pumping blood to his body, it is serving his lungs. And the weaker half is working in overdrive to pump blood to his body. Tim also was born with other heart defects. A hole in his heart was repaired when he was just 5 months old. During that same surgery, a pacemaker was installed to remedy an irregular heartbeat.... For more please visit: littletimmygrobart.blogspot.com