I used to read the book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch to Christopher when he was a little boy. The story is about a mother watching the stages her little boy goes through until he is a man. I used to say to him that he was my baby and that he would always be my baby. He would say," I'm a man… could a baby do this!" and he would usually try to pick me up. I would then yell at him to put me down before he got a hernia and say remember what the book said "I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living my baby you'll be".
I too like Amanda would go downstairs and sit on his bed and talk to him. On one of these talks I asked him if he would mind if I went to the same college with him. He said no that it was good that I was finally going back to school. He only asked that I not take any classes with him because it would hard to pick up girls with your mom in the room. When I would see him at college he always said hi mom even when he was surrounded by his friends. I was always so happy to see him there and proud because he wasn’t the type of son that was embarrassed by his mother.
Some of my funny memories of Chris….
I remember a time when I was showing him off he was almost two and I was bragging about how smart he was. I was in a friend’s mom’s kitchen along with some of the mother’s relatives and friends. I said to Christopher, “What does mommy always call you?” and he said, “Son of a b****!” I was mortified and I kept telling all the ladies “I don’t know where he heard that, I wanted him to say my little man!” All the ladies in the kitchen were laughing so hard they were crying. He was very proud of himself. That was probably is first joke (on me!).
I remember one Halloween years ago when Chris was late and I went looking for him and my van got egged. I chased the kids that egged me, up the side walk and cornered them behind a store. The next day in school everyone was talking about this crazy lady in a white van that chased them for throwing eggs. Chris told me he said, “She’s not really crazy she’s my mom!” He thought it was hysterical.  
Every school Parent- Teacher conference the Teacher’s would say, “Please talk to Christopher about his constant talking!” We would say, “We try!” and we would go home and tell him what was said he would say “I can’t help it, I got this gift from you Mom!”
One of my favorite memories of Chris is from his High School Graduation. I worked in the School District and one of the perks was that I could give him his High School Diploma. They called his name and then said his Diploma will be presented by his mother Patricia and they handed the diploma to me to give him and I was so nervous that I hugged him and proceeded to walk off the stage with his diploma in my hands and he yelled, “Hey mom you forgetting something, I earned that!” I can still see him up in the stands laughing and talking. He really knew how to have fun!
When he went out I would call his cell phone and check in with him. He would answer with, “Yea mom” I would say, and “Where are you? Who are you with? What time will you be home? (Usually all in one breathe). He would tell me and then I would always tell him be careful, and that I loved him. The last conversation that night was different he answered my questions without me asking… “Yea mom… I am going out with the guys, to a club, I won’t be home late.” I said, “What about College?” he said, and “I don’t have it, some President thing… I don’t have to be at Best Buy until 5.” He then said, “Don’t worry mom, I’ll be careful. Love ya.” I told him I loved him too. I know he was careful and I am glad that his last words to me were love ya.
My heart will ache for Christopher until I see him again. Until that time comes I will hold my head up high, smile, and laugh enough for the both of us! That is the least I could do to honor the memory of my son!