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!
Sending out a big thank-you to Christine for giving us a peek into her daily routine. Here’s all the info for her book giveaway.
One randomly selected winner will receive a signed copy of Walk Beside Me by Christine Handy. Here’s a brief description of the novel.
Willow Adair has a picture-perfect life—or so it seems. A stunning model-turned-wife-and-mother, she lives in a beautiful home with her husband and two kids in historic Bexley, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio. On the outside, she has everything. On the inside, she struggles with issues of self-worth. Spurned by her neglectful husband and defied by her rebellious teen daughter, Willow never feels she is good enough. She fears everyone she loves will leave.
Piece by piece, the cornerstones of Willow’s life begin to crumble. A routine colon operation goes horribly wrong, leaving her bleeding and alone on the long road to recovery. A yoga injury leads to a series of surgeries and misdiagnoses, ultimately ending in a full wrist fusion and permanent loss of motion in her right arm. And then, as if she hasn’t suffered enough, Willow is diagnosed with breast cancer. Convinced that no one will stand by her for one more day of sickness and depression, she prepares to end her life.
Willow’s friends are a tour de force. They go with her to chemo. They come and sleep over at her house. They lift her spirits when she is sad, and weep with her when she is hurting. They walk beside her quite literally, on sidewalks from Cleveland to Miami. And they walk beside her spiritually and emotionally, soothing her heartache, healing her self-esteem, and reminding her that every single minute of her life is abundantly worth living.
To enter for a chance to win, log in to the Rafflecopter entry form below with either your email or your Facebook profile. Fill out the Rafflecopter form completely. Anyone can enter, but you get two extra chances to win by joining our mailing list. (If you’re already on our list, make sure you fill this part of the Rafflecopter form out. That way you get credit. And no worries! It won’t duplicate your name.)
This giveaway is open internationally. Must be 14 or older to enter. It ends on Wednesday, June 29 at 11:59 p.m., Central Time. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on Thursday, June 30. We’ll contact the winner by email. Winner will have 72 hours to respond. If there’s no response, a new winner will be selected.
Good luck to everyone who enters!
