My Cristine In Loving Memory Of Cristine Izsak December 19,1971 - May 8,2011

I sat solemnly at the wake of my best friend, unable to accept that she had been taken so soon. I scanned the crowded room and wondered about the relationships she had formed with those faces. It had been a long time since we hung out together, but when we weren’t chatting on the phone, I kept her close to my heart. Her impact on my life came a part of who I was, and who I grew up to be, and who I am today.

This is my Cristine. Cris and I met through a mutual friend, Judy Lee in high school. It was a difficult time in my life. I was being bullied by my peers and I walked the hallways with my head down praying that no one would notice me. Then I met Cristine and I was amazed by the person she was, the person I wished I could be. Cristine was so out there. She wore men’s jeans, heavy metal tee shirts and construction boots. What struck me more than her unique appearance was her strong sense of self. She didn’t care what others thought of her. She was who she was and no one was going to change that. I always admired that about her. She accepted others the same way. She was the most accepting person I knew. Not only was she accepting, she would lift my spirits with her love and support. She taught me Hungarian curse words, along with phrases to use to speak with her Hungarian Grandmother. On the weekends you would find us at the flea market where she would look for the latest Anthrax or Metallica t-shirts. The summer time was full of bike rides to Jones Beach. You know how twins create a secret language, that only the two of them understand? Well that was sort of my relationship with Cris. We would laugh for hours over the oddest things, but others really didn't get our sense of humor. We would spend HOURS on the phone and then call back later because we never really ran out of things to say. It was an amazing connection.

After Graduation, we both moved away from our hometown of Massapequa. Cristine was my biggest support during my young pregnancy and even took lamaze classes with me. After the birth of my first child, she became an adoring Godmother to my daughter Jessica. Cristine stood by my side as I faced the death of my father and stood next to me as the maid of honor at my wedding.

She was a domestic goddess who spent hours getting her apartment just right. She had cleaning her gigantic turtle tank down to a science. She loved those turtles and they were so spoiled. Bordering on hoarder, we joked that if the lights went out, she had enough candles to keep us all lit for days. If it was on sale, she stocked up on it. We spent Friday nights together watching horror movies and baking. The holidays were a time of crafting ornaments and baking cookies.

She eventually took a path that I couldn't follow. We lost touch for a while, but she made her way out of the dark and found light with George. What a light she found. She was finally happy and at peace. We could never get back to the old days, but when you love someone, you need to let them go. She found the true love of her life, and I was so happy for her. We still kept in contact on the holidays and special occasions. My heart raced when I saw her name on my phone. Our last conversation we discussed getting together, but "Life" kept getting in the way. It's truly one of the biggest regrets of my life. Her strength and her loving acceptance will live on in my heart and in the hearts of the lives she touched.