Sunday, July 20, 2008

Just a Couple of Thoughts...

Fill up your favorite beve’ and buckle down, w/ all thats in my head this post has novel potential and could w/o intent become protracted. Angel and I are aware as any w/ the paucity of posting as of late and for those of you out there who actually still care we apologize. Understand as we try to, that there just isn’t that much in Charlie’s world that warrants posting now that we’re home, settled and living our new life. Granted we could continue on with repetitious and feckless updates about his daily routine but I don’t think that’s what anyone wants. I have an idea however, that might offer certain appeasement. We’ll keep posting about Charlie’s journey w/ pertinent events and improvements/regressions as they occur but due to the regrettable infrequency of said events we need some filler. I could continue w/ capricious and increasingly criticized posting where quality is oft a direct result of waning motivation but I’d rather subpoena your assistance.


Here’s the D-Low, those of you who consider yourselves regulars to Charlie’s blog, Angel and I want to hear from you. So I’m thinking in correlation w/ participation we would post your stories, weekly, monthly or whatever. We’d love to hear how Charlie has influenced you, whether big, small or not at all. Maybe you have a similar yarn, a tale that I think not only Angel and I would like to hear but everyone else as well. I’ve had regrets about this blog from the beginning but conversely we’ve had many great experiences because of it, reuniting w/ old friends and making so many new ones. We’ve loved learning and relearning about your lives and in most cases your lives are far more interesting than ours so I think it’s time to get a touch deeper into the world of some of those who Charlie calls friends. Capeesh? Entries of any length are welcome and if you have pictures you’d like included, well include them, whatever blows air up your skirt. Just start writing, pay no mind to grammar, spelling or punctuation, I dont. Charlie’s email is charliecooperchristensen@live.com .
We’ll see how this goes, it’ll only be as good as you make it or it might go off like a nun’s knickers but hey I’ve been full of bad ideas all my life so no biggie.



Ode to Jared

For the uninformed Jared is Charlie’s uncle and my little brother. He’s a good kid and it’s high time you get to know him better. It seems like in the not to distant past I was still duct taping him to his bed post while he was clad in nothing but his skivies but as with all things, especially things like Charlie’s aunt Susan, he grew up or in Susan’s case, grew way up. Happy 80th sis I’ve got fresh tennis balls for your walker. Many of you probably know who Jared is, but few really know him. You see, he doesn’t say much and he likes it that way. (I know what you’re all thinking, "Rob has a sibling that doesn’t suffer from oral diarrhea?" Shut up!) He takes after our Granddad, Papa, who also is a man of few, and or no words but both are men who live by the creed that one ounce of action beat a ton of words. Neither of these fellers would probably ever tell you that they like you let alone use the word love, (unless your Katie, the only person Papa has ever openly admitted to liking.) and to illustrate my point I’ll share w/ you all the nicest things that these two have ever said to me. 1. Papa; while shingling my mothers roof, Papa upon suffering residuals of my faulty elimination stared me right in the eye and affectionately offered, "How can that much stink come from one man?" 2. Jared; after I had just been ushered into his ambulance as consequence of an ill fated skiing trip that ended in assistance from Davis County Search and Rescue and a helicopter extraction he uttered, "10 million sperm and you were the fastest?" In a round about way this brings me to my point. Jared really likes Charlie. He’s never said, but this is how we know. When Charlie first entered the Hospital we were in the final stages of finishing our house and I was scraping a leg worrying about deadlines, cabinets, flooring, etc… and he came to me in the PICU and simply said "You’re where you need to be, I’ll take care of it." He did. I didn’t worry about the house once while Charlie was in the hospital. Jared had to step way out of his comfort zone to fulfill his promise, he had to call people on the phone, talk to folks and coordinate the efforts of our little extreme home makeover. All of which went off swimmingly because he was dead set on having the house done so that when Charlie got out of the hospital he could come home to a new house. He did. That would have been enough for most folks but not Jared. One evening about a month ago I came home after being out of town for a week and found my yard graded and trenches dug for sprinklers. The kid doesn’t quit.


The next day Jared’s friend Greg from Farmington Fire showed up w/ a truck full of pipe and sprinkler parts and I was mid infarct wondering how to pay for all this stuff and Greg told me "Rob, It’s all taken care of." What??? He wouldn’t tell me how but after further investigation I discovered that a meeting took place with an incredibly generous group of people. These were folks, some of whom were familiar w/ Charlie but also some were folks that Jared had helped in some way or another, folks that and had tried to compensate him for his services w/ no success so instead they took advantage of my patheticness and bought my sprinklers. Now cogitate on this; how many people think highly enough of you that they would give to your unfamiliar sibling just because of who you are and what you’d done for them? I can think of one, Ryan Sterl the Pearl Webb. He’s 3 and he thinks I’m cool. So to this incredibly generous group of people, thank you. Thank you so much for such an overwhelming expression of selflessness. You’re great and I’ll try my damndest to find out who all of you are so I can thank you personally. Believably this story does have a bottleneck so here we go. Sprinklers got put in, w/o my help, lawn was laid, w/o my help, basically I’ve got a brand new beautiful yard that was all done w/o my help. The thing about Jared is he’ll never take credit for it, he wouldn’t even expect a thanks, he’s just one of the few people left out there that tells you they love you by showing you and we know Jared loves Charlie a ton. So Jar-head, not that you care, but thanks. Charlie loves you too.

16 comments:

Unknown said...

that is incredible. Way to go Jared!!! We want to see pictures of this yard!!!

Katie Jo said...

We all love jared! And jared and rob thanks for putting my mom's screen up on her porch! She won't stop talking about you two! You are both great guys.

Jolene said...

Okay, now I'm bawling. Jared spent quite a bit of time at my house growing up. Never have I asked Jared to help me with anything that he hasn't done willingly and unselfishly. Yesterday, he sent my husband and sons to play golf while he stayed in the heat and put up a shade screen on my balcony. Robert holding on to Jared's pants as he hung off the balcony with his drill was a sight to see. Jared has a heart of pure gold. His Mom can be proud of such a thoughtful out standing kiddo. Jared you rock, and Rob, you're not so bad yourself. Love to you both.

Anonymous said...

Wow, you have an an amazing family and friends! Or maybe,we all could and do and just do not know how amazing life is.I think that is how Super Coop and his family have influenced me. Iknow that I hope you read my words,but i know that I have spiritually grown because I pray more. At first, I hoped that youwould know how much someone from so far away could care and help you all on your journey.Now i just wait tosee how you are cause I will grow. Shyla from Montana

Matchbox Mom said...

Wow! What a great brother!!
What a blessing he is to your family.
Super Coop is too cute! Love him for the Petersons

Tami

Anonymous said...

That is a truly amazing story. All of you guys just dont quit. You are a such a blessed group of people and I just feel better about the world after I read this blog.

Thanks for sharing!

Suz said...

Well said Rob!!! Big Jare is very generous with his time and talents. The fact that he gave me a beautifully wrapped (seriously) package of tennis balls today for my happy to you will be overlooked because he also found a pretty funny political card and brought a salad to the gala! Thanks Jared. I wish you had a few less jobs so you could've stayed for some pretty fantastic food...not to mention fantastic company.

Anonymous said...

I come to your blog every day. Please don't regret starting it. There are more people out here in blog land than you can even imagine. If i never read another word, i will never forget your family. You really have changed my outlook in life, just by the way you live yours, and share part of it with us, the annonymous puplic. Charlie is so precious and i beleive he is here on this earth to help all of us be better people, not just his family. Oh, and Jared sounds like an awesome guy! You are very lucky to have such wonderful people in your lives. B =)

Anonymous said...

Rob and Ang:
I wanted to thank you for yesterday at Susan's b-day for the oppottunity to hold your sweet boy. I enjoyed every minute with that sweet sweet boy. I hate to admit but I'm out of shape, and my arm is a little stuff, but worth every minute I had with him.
Thank you,
Michelle Bowthorpe(Longman)

Ginny said...

I think this is an awesome idea...just don't know if there are words to describe the emotions involved. Will have to work on that. I hope the response is as amazing as the boy and his family.

Anonymous said...

Jared is perhaps one of the best examples of selfless service there is. Not only in his personal life but in his professional. Regardless of the jokes he cracks, his life is dedicated to helping those in need whether it be his brother or those he serves at work. Just don't forget to take care of yourself too Jared! I know all too well that you work too much. Take care.

Ashlee said...

Wow! Hard to believe my childhood playmate grew up to be such an amazing man! I thought it funny that there was the picture of Jared in the bobcat, as that is what I remember most about him, his love for big trucks! I love being able to keep up on you guys through the blogs! Give everyone a hug from me! Ashlee Springer

Katy said...

I am brand new here, but wanted the chance to meet another Charlie. My little Charlie experienced brain damage immediately following birth and has CP, vision issues, and seizures as a result.

You question starting this blog. I think that it is a wonderful thing to keep up and maintain these blogs. I feel that sharing this journey is important. That, however, is just the biased opinion of a mommy who blogs.

I also wanted to comment on the post you made on June 11th. My Charlie looked in one direction for the first six months of his life. The doctors felt there was some vision, but he definitely didn't attend to things visually and made very little eye contact. Sometime after he turned seven months, I started to see moments of eye contact. I thought maybe I was imagining it. Occasionally, it was as if a fog had lifted and he could see us. Now, a little while after his first birthday, we have turned another corner. He is seeing his toys and reaching for them. At a recent eye exam the nurse found good tracking! Perhaps your Charlie is turning one of those corners--picking up skill, tunneling a new nueral pathway. Will he ever look and smile with the ease he once did? Who knows. I do know that with all the love and affection that your Charlie is getting, he's got the best chance there is.

I wish you the best of luck on this journey and feel free to stop by and see my Charlie any time.

Roxey said...

Thanks for the post, and I feel so out of the loop without commenting daily (although I still read). love you guys so much and you're ALWAYS in our prayers.

Anonymous said...

I don't know any of you personally, but I love all of you and appreciate and continue to be inspired by your examples of man's HUMANITY to man. Thanks.

Meghan said...

Here is my "ode to jay"
once upon a time i had a little, err. younger brother who didn't talk much, but when he did it was usually funny, liked to play in the dirt and big red trucks. then he grew up and liked those same things (at least you're consistant j). one day i was scheduling babysitters for 3 kids 3 and under and j volunteered, which i assumed was a joke because, duh, diapers. and he was for real about watching them and i kept thinking he would bail, but bail he did not. and the day came, and many diapers were changed and babies were fed and nobody died. including jay. the end.
just another thing the guy will do to serve another. or a bunch of others. thanks again jay. ryan wants you to watch him again and again (that's what he said on the way home). it's too bad he doesn't have any great uncles to look up to...