Sunday, January 9, 2022
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The week before Thanksgiving, I had put a call out on Facebook looking for help at the Mary Brennan INN for some fairly unglamorous work - helping unload a truck and move some donations around the warehouse.
Chris just showed up to help - no fuss, no drama. Told me about her sister’s passing and then just got to work for a few hours. That was the Chris I knew. Always lending a hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, rolling up her sleeves, taking the tough jobs, being humble and matter-of-fact. Talking to all her fellow volunteers as if she had always known them and being herself with everyone she met. Whether it was a call for help at the INN or the Girls Go the Distance Walks she never failed to show up and extend a hand and take the job that was least likely to get attention.
She was as energetic and hardworking as ever when I saw her a few days before Thanksgiving. I’m stunned by her passing and I’ll think of her every time I’m moving a box or cleaning up after an event - when her energy and unflagging volunteer spirit was always at its best, and when it really counted. When the spotlight wasn’t shining and there was real work to be done.
Thanks for everything, Chris. I’ll miss you.
