I really love the word Christine Handy chose for us this month—heart.
It’s different from the words we’ve had in the past. It’s not an emotion or a positive characteristic to strive for. This word has so many definitions. If you look it up on Merriam-Webster, it can of course refer to the organ which beats in our chest and keeps us alive, or it can refer to a suit in a card deck. But it can also refer to a disposition, as in “a leader with heart.” It can refer to courage, as in “she never lost heart.” It can refer to that which is central and most vital to a thing, as in “getting to the heart of the matter.”
Most importantly, it can refer to a way of life, as in “she is a woman who lives with her whole heart.”
This last meaning is the one we’re focusing on today. I’ve put a little video together of the Behaviorists and me where we share what “living with our whole hearts” means to us.
Yes, you read that right! For the first time, we have not one, but two winners who’ll receive signed copies of Walk Beside Me by Christine Handy. Thank you so much to everyone who entered and to Christine for being our incredible Woman of the Month and helping us with this giveaway.
If you’ve had a chance to read Courtney’s interview with Christine Handy from earlier this month, then you’ll know what an extraordinary woman we have on the blog today. She went through ten years of rigorous, traumatic, life-threatening health issues, and came out on the other side forged in steel. Nowadays, she’s the author of Walk Beside Me and is working on her second novel.
I’m thrilled we get the chance to see what her everyday life looks like. But just like most of our Women of the Month, Christine’s everyday life is that there is no everyday life. As she mentioned in the interview, she lives one week in Dallas and one in Miami, which sounds hectic indeed!
One of the things I really loved when reading both her schedule and Walk Beside Me is how important her daily walks are. Before I knew everything that I know now about Christine, I’d often see her walking (more like power-walking) on Katy Trail while I was doing my daily run. It’s baffling to me how many times I crossed paths, even said hello, and had no idea what she was going through—really going through. Who knows where I was mentally during those times, but I do know that Christine was fully present. Even through all of her struggles, she fought to keep her walks, and I will forever be inspired by her strength and resilience.
At the bottom of this post, there’s a giveaway for a signed copy of Walk Beside Me as well as a brief description of the book. Be sure to enter and be inspired, too! But for now, welcome to a day in the life of Christine!
I get so excited at the beginning of each month because it means I get to introduce you to another phenomenal, inspirational woman.
For June, our Woman of the Month is my friend Christine Handy!
Christine has endured ten years of harrowing, heartbreaking medical issues, and despite many setbacks and many struggles that would’ve bowed a lesser person, she came through the other side stronger than ever. It started with a standard procedure on her colon, which was mishandled by her doctor. Next came a minor wrist injury that would also require a “standard procedure,” but afterward, her doctor wouldn’t listen to her when she told him there was too much pain. Christine underwent months of physical therapy, but when her wrist still wasn’t healing, she went to get a second opinion. This doctor discovered that she had an infection in the bones of her wrist and all those months of physical therapy actually broke every single bone she had. This led to a complete wrist fusion and years of wearing a cast. If that weren’t enough, in 2012, Christine was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a staggering twenty-eight rounds of chemo.
Through all of these travails, she fought fiercely for her life, battling one issue after another, but what got her through it all was a group of friends she referred to as her Angels. These women stood by her, came over in the middle of the night when she needed them, got down on the floor and held her when she sobbed, cleaned her vomit, and most importantly, reminded her of her own strength in the days she felt like she couldn’t go on.
WALK BESIDE ME by Christine Handy
Her experiences from the last ten years inspired her to write her first novel, Walk Beside Me, which is out now I’m still in the process of reading it (no spoilers, please!), but Courtney wasn’t able to put it down. Several times a day, she texted, “TEARS,” and I just knew that this book was something special. Which doesn’t surprise me one bit because Christine is something special. She recently was my Angel as I walked beside my friend Kelly through her heroic battle with breast cancer. Christine gave us strength and hope when others closed their doors. She was the reason Kelly was admitted into one of the leading cancer treatment facilities in the country.
Unfortunately, it was too late by the time Kelly was able to receive treatment. Christine was right there with us every day and every step of the way. In fact, she came to Kelly’s celebration of life to pay tribute to a woman whom she didn’t know. And the reason why I say all of this is because very few people would go as far as Christine did for someone they don’t know. Heck, let’s be honest, most people wouldn’t go as far, period! Christine is my Angel, and I will forever be touched by her unconditional love and strength.
Please welcome Christine Handy to Model Behaviors, and enjoy Courtney’s interview with her below!
