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Live your life and share your dreams with the righ...

Live your life and share your dreams with the right ones. Is the best way to leave your legacy

“That’s is my tip of the day: when you need to, DO what you need to do. Just ignore everything else. Seriously… that is my 5am thought”

Christine Buske-Hone – In Memorian

10/02/1984 – 22/05/2019

Today, May 22, 2020 we remember the day that you left this life my lovely friend. It was so soon, it was so painful for you, for us, your friends, your mother. I am a mother, and I am sure that losing a child, no matter how or when, is the biggest pain that a mom may ever experience. It still hurts. Its been a year already, and still hurts.

I could be writing down here pages and more pages about how it hurts. Instead, I will choose to do what you used to do: look at the sweetest side of your life and remember about what you did. Things, actions, research, moments and plans that will last beyond your own life.

Despite of the fact that you had a short moment with all of us, you left such important, solid and intense legacy. You helped so many people, friends, colleagues in so many and different ways. Every moment of your day, was for you, an opportunity to help. I am sure that every person that had the chance to meet or to speak to you can point at least one or more situations when you offered and gave some help. We could see in your eyes your empathy, positivity, your compassion.

According to Dalai Lama, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Do I need to say more?

Ok, I know Christine, you are probably telling me that not everything were rainbows and unicorns. I know. Really. However, I do remember you telling me that you were constantly trying to find some positivity on everything, that negative thoughts would not help anyone.

In one of the last videos that you kindly shared, wearing yellow, comparing yourself as a chick, you cried and laughed, in your car, speaking about bad thoughts that you had and how badly you want to live because you had people that you didn’t want to leave behind. And in a minute later, you were telling us:

“- Ok. time to dry the tears, everyhting is gonna be fine. I am good, I am happy, its a really good day”

Agreed my friend. It was really a wonderful day, seeing you with such excitement and happiness, going to visit your beautiful and cute Louie. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miCgACeNpR4&t=126s)

By the way, my lovely friend, there is one thing that I might not forget to mention. What a contagious laugh and sense of humor you left in our memories. No matter what, you were always smiling. Smiling when you were angry, disagreeing, disappointed, happy, excited… and at the same time always having such transparency in your eyes, that it could be a challenge for you to pretend something. Your soul was happy. Entirely happy.

It just crossed my mind now, the day that you dared posting a video saying that you loved your cancer. I thought “what a..” Christine? Anyway, you laughed, we laughed; you shocked and at the same time brought such an awareness about this clinic situation.

Thank you again for discussing this with such genuine, pure and clear way. You dared to speak and write not only about the scientific part of the disease, but also discussing the sadness of a terrible diagnostic. You dared to share details about your worst days, details about your most vulnerable moments, “just” for helping people, for genuinely help. Amazing legacy.

OMG Chris, and when we thought that you were taking care of yourself, in one of those terrible days, you came across with a wonderful idea about, again, helping people. 

You asked your mom to promise you that she would take care of your idea and would move forward on that. Create a Dr. Christine Hone Buske Foundation for Women with Psychological Needs. You probably had the whole plan in your mind, but the time was cruel, and we will need to start from scratch. No problem. We will do it. For you.

My lovely friend, do not worry about that. Your mom is strongly determined on making your dream come true. She is emotionally destroyed of course but incredibly focused on putting your plan into action. I think I figured why you were such a strong and determined person too.

Thank you Carmen, for your tremendous courage on beginning this project. Thank you for inviting me for being an important part of that.

Please, lovely friends, let’s share Christine’s project and passion in your field. Share your ideas, the ideas that she had shared with you. Bring your motivation, your compassion, empathy and solidarity and let us start this project together. Your IDEAS are treasures for us.

Do not hesitate to contact her lovely mom Carmen Buske or me (Juliana Lo Presti-Torres) @ cbuskewomensfoundation@gmail.com

Hoping to hear from all of you soon.

Take care

Dr. Juliana Presti-Torres.


Christine Buske is a former academic who left science at the bench, and now considers herself a woman in tech. She is a frequently invited speaker, and enjoys talking about career transformation (particularly leaving academia for the business world), tech, issues around women in tech, product management, agile, and outreach. She is a proud Canadian resident, and qualifies as a "serial expat".

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