A Toast To A Good One

We lost a great guest and friend this week, Dan Christian. After a long battle with cancer, Dan passed on Monday.

Dan started coming to the resort with his parents, Wills and Lou Christian. I looked back in our records and I can't find their first year which means its far back. I remember as a child Wills and Lou arriving with all their kids whose names all started with D, Dennis, David, Dale, Dan, Dawn, Didi and Doug. A fruit basket arrived at our house from Lou, and lots of fun sounding noise as they all unpacked the car. The Christian family over every generation I have known, have known the art of laughter and love. Over the years the other siblings have returned here and there but Dan, and his family stayed regulars. The sound of laughter from his family echoes over the generations from Wills and Lou.

Dan was a Girl Dad, before they were a thing. He was surrounded by girls at all times and they kept him busy and he loved it.

I remember all the Cabbage Patch Dolls that got unpacked from the car with these three. The giggles, pink sand buckets, pink swimsuits, and lots of floaties. All unpacked, used and dragged up and down the beach steps each day by Dan and Steph.

My favorite memory was one day at the beach. Many times guests don't know the last names of everyone at the resort. Steph was at the Perch and I think it was lunch time. She yelled "All Christian Girls Upstairs!" Quite a few people at the beach that day had a moment to analyze their relationship with god. Three little girls though knew mom meant business and up the steps they tromped with dad right behind

If you ask anyone who has vacationed with them over the years in the last week of July what they love about Dan and Steph the list will be long, On top of the list would be their devotion to one another. They always had arms around one another with Steph's head tucked under Dan's chin. They fit together like a puzzle. The love and laughter you heard from Dan and Steph, along with a sparkly in their eyes for each other was what we all want in life. Add in 3 giggly girls and eventually spouses and grandchildren and you can imagine the noise on Saturday when they arrived. It was always a good noise.

Dan and Steph were quick to call me when they heard about my own cancer battle. Over the last few months, Dan and I have exchanged chemo and cancer stories and support on our good and bad days the last few months. I told Steph last week as things were not looking good, to tell Dan I would promise to fight as hard as him to defeat the beast of cancer.

In his last few years, Dan would brew up a batch of Black's Cliff beer he would bring on vacation. This batch was named after the bear we had to chase out of the resort a few years ago

Our condolences go out to the entire Christian Family over the loss of Dan from your entire Black's Cliff family.