The night air was refreshingly cool and crisp as I stood on the patio of The Bouwerie overlooking the snow covered golf course. I took a long deep breath in, and took a few minutes to appreciate the moment. It was 9pm on New Year's Eve, another year of trials, triumphs, and tribulations gone by. I could hear all the commotion inside as everyone hurried to make sure everything was in place for the party. One of my closest friend's, Keith Roche, owns the Bouwerie, and we teamed up together to throw what we hoped would be an elegant New Year's Eve bash. He and I are very similar in many ways, one of which being that we both absolutely LOVE to throw a great party. And ofcourse in true "Christophe fashion" we both agree that everything must be classy, on point, and done in style! Go Big or GO HOME baby! My adrenaline was at an all time high knowing that so much needed to be done in order to ensure that the night was a success. This is the stuff I live for. I love to show people a good time and what better way to do it than with delicious food and energetic music! My best friend Crystal Vargas and the one and only DJ LJ, were about to put on a show which I am sure most people were NOT prepared for. The mood was right and I could honestly feel the positive energy in the air. It was going to be a good night!! As guests began to arrive, my excitement only grew as I saw faces of people who I love and truly care about. Even my cousins from Queens made the trip out to New Jersey (STRONG) and that just completed the end of my year! I believe New Year's Eve is a time to celebrate all the memories of the past year, and to do it with the people who helped you create them...and that is exactly what I did!
Moments of laughter, tears, makeups, breakups and everything in between flashed through my mind. I was finally able to meet my half-brother Fabien this year, and this was a very big deal for me. It brought closure to some of my issues and I am extremely happy to finally be an influential part of his life. I have learned not to look back on the past with regret or take things too seriously because the truth is, doing so does absolutely NOTHING except torture you! Instead I choose to concentrate on the good times and the obstacles I was able to overcome. In the end, I am alive and that's all that matters to ME. Innocent lives being taken in storms, school shootings, drug overdose, and other random acts of terror are enough to make me realize JUST how lucky I am. Some of these people were perfectly healthy with no prior medical history and taken in the blink of an eye!!! Ill say it in every blog if need be: LIFE IS NOT GUARANTEED at any point! Do yourself a favor and don't take your life and those in it for granted. It is because of this reason that I feel particularly blessed. Looking forward, I turn 30 YEARS OLD this year........after it had been predicted by several doctors that I would most likely not live past my early teens, this is TRULY a miracle and I couldn't be more excited. The road certainly has not been easy, but DEFINITELY well worth every last second! I could hardly wrap my heart around the fact that only 3 short months ago, my left lung was collapsed and I found myself laying helplessly dressed in nothing but a hospital gown. Recovery was extremely tough and at first, I was honestly not sure if I was up for it. My body was already weak as it was, due to my condition. Add a debilitating surgery on top of it, and that is enough to make anyone feel defeated. Fortunately for me, the outpouring of support which I received from family and friends was enough to have me back on my feet in less than 1 month! Even still, the days were tough, nights were tougher! There were times that I was convinced it would NEVER get better. It took a lot of mental motivation, from deep inside, to make it through. Tonight however, I stood proud in my suit and tie, dressed to impress, and ready to celebrate another year of victory in my war against the grim reaper (that guy really is a persistent lil bastard). After enjoying a few cocktails at the top shelf open bar and delectable food from the buffet/carving stations the crowd took to the dance floor for the countdown to midnight. In last seconds of 2012, I made a point to say THANK YOU to God! 5......4.......3......2.....1....air horns blew, confetti blasted in the air (lol Keith), midnight kisses filled the room, champagne was toasted, and Crystal Vargas took to her percussion!! The dancing didn't stop till the house lights came on later that night. It was only after receiving both visual and verbal confirmation that everyone was having a wonderful time, that I was finally able to let loose a bit and enjoy myself as well! One of my main highlights for the evening was taking my mother onto the dancefloor to jam out to Danza Kuduro HAHA! There was something so incredibly special, yet ironic about being able to DANCE into the new year with the one person who never left my side after so many months laid up in a hospital bed and barely being able to make it up a flight of stairs. No words were spoken. None were needed. We have been through so much together that a simple smile was enough to know just how amazing this moment was.
As the night was ending, Keith busted my chops about the enormous mess of confetti that covered his dining room floor. We chuckled as we joked that confetti would still be turning up in the spring, haha. A quick high five and "french fries" solidified that the night however, was a HUGE SUCCESS! People were extremely happy and that's what mattered most! As I was walking out the door, my friend who works for Keith, King asked "so man, what's your New Years Resolution?" to which I replied, "just to keep doing what I'm doing man, LIVING!!!!!!!!" The truth is, I dont know what my future holds, and I don't allow myself to get carried away with over thinking about it either. Instead I have learned to cherish moments in the present. In a way, I have learned to slow down time and appreciate each MINUTE for what it is. This year, for example, my Christmas was complete as I looked around and saw my family, and the precious little face of my darling niece Vanessa! We were all healthy and together!Regardless of all my medical hurdles, I was able to accomplish a lot through opening up some very private parts of my life to the public eye. Writing has become very therapeutic for me and has allowed me to let go of any anger, hate, or pain and instead focus on the the positive things going on in my life! I feel that I was able to touch many lives with my story and it's only just the beginning. My TELL ALL autobiography is well underway and I am so excited to finish and share it with ALL of you! In the meantime I am actively doing whatever I can to help those in need. With the aid of many kind hearted people I was able to raise an incredible amount of donations for both Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts as well as a Holiday Toy Drive for New York Presbyterian's Children's Hospital! It feels so good to be able to give back and help those in need in any small way that I can. I was put on this earth for a purpose and I finally know exactly what that is: to give people HOPE and inspire RECOVERY! Recovery of any kind, wether it be emotional or physical. If we all come together and lend a helping hand we can really make an impact not just on others but on OURSELVES! God Bless and I wish you ALL a very HAPPY and HEALTHY NEW YEAR!-Mr. Recovery
*Please take a moment to remember the innocent young lives that were taken in the Sandy Hook Elementary Tragedy, those who lost their lives and were affected in any way by Hurricane Sandy, all who may have lost their lives to sickness or other unfortunate circumstances, all first responders, fire, police, and emt/volunteers that risked their lives everyday to help people, and all the troops that we have lost and those that continue to fight for OUR COUNTRY!!!
A Special Thank You to all who: donated to both my Hurricane Sandy Relief Drive and or Children's Hospital Toy Drive - both of which were a HUGE SUCCESS! Keith Roche, Dan Demiglio and all of the staff over at the Bouwerie! Your restaurant set our year off on the right foot! Crystal Vargas and DJ LJ of The Vinyl Percussion Show!- your music was perfect all night long. Amanda Merkel for her delicious specialty desserts. Sarah Francavilla for makeup - you do such beautiful work. Dave Falkenstern who was running a million errands behind the scenes to help put all the pieces together! And to everyone who came out for a good time, because after all YOU are the primary reason the party was as spectacular as it was!
No comments:
Post a Comment