All About Charlie

We are coming up on Charlie’s birthday, this Sunday which will forever be bittersweet for us. But still, we celebrate and will continue to do so each year because while he isn’t here physically, he will always be a brother, a friend, and our son. He deserves to be celebrated, as his life, though brief gives us strength and love always.

One of the things that saddens us most about Charlie’s death is that we meet people now who celebrate his life and foundation, that never had the opportunity to meet our sweet, loving boy. Charlie brought us so much joy and I hate that others didn’t get the chance to know him as we do. He is a constant in our hearts, in our minds and in our lives. 

Having spent many years as a teacher, the school years always started with “all about me” activities. It was the best way to capture a child before you had the time to really get to know him. I imagined Charlie filling this out in Kindergarten, but he never got the chance. To mark what would be Charlie’s 8th birthday, I’m completing it for him. I hope it helps you get to know our little man a little more, bringing you closer to him and our family. So here goes… 

All about Charlie

What is Charlie’s favorite color?

Red

What is Charlie’s favorite TV show/movie?  

He loved Paw Patrol, but he didn’t enjoy movies. Only shows. He explained to us that movies always had bad guys and he didn’t like bad guys, but the bad guys in shows were never really bad. 

What is his favorite toy? 

His blanket, or “night night” as he affectionately called it, was his favorite possession. He had to have it to sleep. He would rub the satin edges, and I loved watching him. What he didn’t know was there were two blankets. We would switch them out to wash one and we were always so concerned about leaving his “night night” somewhere. But in terms of toys, his favorite was Legos. He loved building legos with Michael. 

What is his favorite song? 

“Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake. He would jam out to that song at preschool, at home, everywhere. It’s our song, and now when it plays it makes us stop in our tracks. I just see him smiling and giggling. He is the “sunshine in my pocket.”

What is his favorite food? 

Anything “Shhocolate” (chocolate).

Does Charlie like to travel?

Charlie loved to travel. One of our favorite trips with him was to Washington DC. He was so excited to learn, visit the museums, see the city and ride the subway. Nothing ever made him nervous. He embraced all experiences and loved trying new things

Who is your best friend?

Olivia Marie Klass. They were buddies since they were babies. What was so wonderful about them was you could see they would take care of each other always. I know Charlie is looking down on her from above, continuing to watch out for her. They didn’t fight or get tired of one another and they were so inclusive with other children. They could be a team together but always opened the door for others to join. You can read more about their sweet friendship here.

What is his favorite clothing?

Comfy pants and a superhero T-shirt, haha! He didn’t love jeans because they were too “crunchy” but he could rock out some corduroy pants. Those were considered pretty comfy by his standards.

What always makes Charlie laugh, no matter what?

His sister, Ellie. And tickling, he loved to be tickled. Ellie has his deep belly laugh, too. I love that they share the same laugh. 

What makes him sad? 

He didn’t like inequality. He didn’t understand why children might not have enough food or just because someone looked different from him they might be treated differently. 

Who is Charlie most like, you or Michael? 

Michael says Charlie was the best of both of us. I have to agree. He had Michael’s giggle, easy-going nature, and positivity. For me, obviously his looks ????, but also his social responsibility and bleeding heart. He wanted the world to be kind, just like he was. 

What’s the thing you most remember about Charlie? 

His presence. He could walk into a room and find a friend, put someone at ease or make them laugh. His spirit loved without condition. And those big blue eyes…I miss those eyes so much