A Spec ial Place, A Safe Place
Welcome to Kristie & Me.
Hi, I'm Candy Priano. Like too many parents, I'm doing what I never thought possible. I'll tell you more about that in my blog posts. My daughter is Kristie, known to those who love her as "Our little spark plug." I'm doing my best to make Kristie & Me a place you will want to visit, to bookmark and to return. After all, Netcraft claims the number of blogs and websites as of January 2010 surpasses 150 million!
I created Kristie & Me to post story lines from my book. This book will be my gift to Kristie when we celebrate her 25th birthday on June 30, 2011.
For you, there are opportunities to:
- share your stories at the end of my blog posts or
- request a guest author spot on this blog to tell your story, and
- voice your opinions or connect with others on the Forums.
Winter Wonderland
The Winter Wonderland movie is 3 1/2 minutes of love and joy. I produced it using bits and pieces from our family's first home video. Requests for permission to use the music in this video have been made to EMI Music, W.B. Music, Sony and Word Music Group.
Caught in the act January 2002. The front door isn't even open, and yet I hear Kristie's voice. She and Steve are laughing and both begin to yell, "Mom! Mom!"
I'm upstairs, so I yell back. I can feel Kristie's bouncy walk vibrating through the floor as she gets closer to the game room where I'm working on the computer.
"Mom, B-ball practice was great. I love being on varsity. Coach Pena said I'm ... Hey, hey, is that me when we lived in Fresno and we went to the snow? I love the snow!"
Kristie's arms come flying around my shoulders. I feel her kisses still on my cheeks, as she sees this younger version of herself on the computer screen.
“Mom, what are ... when did you learn to do this on the computer?” ... "What can I ... Oh my gosh, I want to help, especially with the Washington, D.C., trip. It’ll be like going on vacation all over again. This is so cool!
Between laughter and more chatter, we made a New Year's resolution that we would empty the shoe boxes—another story for the blog—and make beautiful movies together. By the end of the summer, our family would be eating popcorn and watching movies—family movies that spanned 10 years. But when the summer of 2002 arrived, the boxes were still full and the computer screen was dark. That's why today, I just couldn't do the Kristie and Me Blog without my Kristie.
About Kristie & Me
Kristie is a part of me. I am a part of Kristie. Just as Kristie died, so did a part of me.
Kristie & Me—together. Our dreams of the future were splendid. My heart would not let go of our dreams. I just knew that Kristie would come bopping down the stairs, just like always. I just knew that Kristie's laughter would fill our house with joy, just like always. I just knew that Kristie would throw her arms around my shoulders, just like always. I knew all of this until a stranger called: "... I live in Mississippi. The same thing happened to my family. My daughter and niece were killed.... What are you going to do about it?"
Again, I thought she had the answer—the answer I didn't have but needed so desperately. I even asked, "How do I get Kristie back?"
"I'm so sorry," said the stranger, her voice even kinder than it was before. "When you are ready, please call me. Write down my name and phone number. I'll wait while you do this."
I saw the scratch sheet of paper by the phone and almost hung up. I didn't want to write anything if I ... if I couldn't get the answer I wanted. But, she waited. I managed to say, "I have it. Your name is Linda. Your phone number is 601-...."
I walked into Kristie's room, the paper now hidden inside my close-fisted hand. When I walked out of Kristie's room, her pillow—the warmest, most cuddly pillow—was all wet. I asked God, "What should I do?"
The crumpled paper became so heavy in my hand. Linda, I thought, not today but soon. I walked down the hall and told Mark, my husband and Kristie's dad, about the call. He didn't say much; and for those who know Mark, they know he loves to talk. But, he didn't say anything later when I mentioned the phone call again ... and again.
A stranger's call ... that's when I realized I had to quit dreaming. I had to quit believing that I would see my Kristie, feel her hugs, or hear her voice. Somehow, I knew then that I had to come to grips with my new reality and figure out what I was going to do about it. The Book. Well, the book idea has been around for seven years. The content, chapter titles and word choices change on a regular basis. Most likely the book will also include:
- The fight for change through a proposed measure called "Kristie's Law." Law enforcement associations opposed the measure because it required officers to follow their pursuit policy, something that today is still not required by the state of California.
- PursuitSAFETY, a national nonprofit organization that takes this public safety issue beyond California and the people who helped found this organization. PursuitSAFETY serves injured victims and bereaved families from around the world.
What title will it carry? 10 Deadly Secrets was the original title. That moniker gave way to numerous others: In Pursuit of Justice, Murder by Legislation, The Unwritten Policy, Lost in Statistics: Kristie's Story, and The Other Side of the Windshield.Perhaps you will post some title suggestions either on the Kristie & Me Blog or one of the Forums.