I Am With You, Always - Andrew

I actually got my first one of the "I am with you, always" from my sister-in-law (now widow, now recently engaged) back when we found out my brother had been diagnosed with stage 4 Metastatic High-Grade Neuroendocrine Cancer back in May of 2021. We all knew it was going to be a long road ahead... and ultimately he passed away. He fought for almost a year from diagnosis to death, April 7 2022. The colors for NEC cancer are Zebras Stripes. So this bracelet was perfect!! You can read more about that journey here: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/8pbx5n-erics-fight-for-life" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gofundme.com/f/8pbx5n-erics-fight-for-life&source=gmail&ust=1729681367745000&usg=AOvVaw1sEfhDLJvu4OAI3yg-Y-5R" data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="14" data-mce-fragment="1" data-mce-href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/8pbx5n-erics-fight-for-life" target="_blank">https://www.gofundme.com/f/ 8pbx5n-erics-fight-for-life

I had to buy a new bracelet again...as mine had stretched out. So I got one on Amazon as Becca had done before.

I then created a whiskey with the help of a local distillery that we were going to release to special people on the anniversary of his death in 2023. I kept about 6 of the 52 bottles for myself.

Thanksgiving of 2023 I announced to our family that I was going to start a Golf Tournament to benefit the Cancer that took my brother's life. I had no idea what I was getting into. but I thought...why the hell not. and started using the phrase "something bigger than me". No one offered to help as they all thought it was silly and crazy and most of our family wasn't a golfer....so why would I do such a thing? I got connected with a group called GolfStatus/Dormie Network based out of Nebraska that helps people (but mainly organizations) do golf tournaments. So, with their platform and my boots on the ground I went to work. As the tournament got closer the day looked super horrible for weather, everyone of my family said..oh you should cancel, no one will show. I sent out an email to the registrants "anyone who wants to cancel is more than welcome, and I will give back all monies". No one said a peep. I gathered 24 teams of 4 (one team just wanted to donate and not play), about $1500 more on the day of the event, all-in-all over $16,000 in revenue. Then, after all expenses paid with $1000 saved for the next year's pre-work ... I Was able to donate $3500 to various NEC/NET Cancer places in Nebraska/Midwest/National. Day of event, everything went great! And I was blown away by all the people who just showed up to play! After the event, my parents and all my family came to me and said "So uh how can we help next year?" I chuckled and I said..."Oh, I thought you said this wouldn't work?"

You can learn more about that tournament here: <a href="https://events.golfstatus.com/event/chipping-away-endocrine-cancer/details/registration-details" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://events.golfstatus.com/event/chipping-away-endocrine-cancer/details/registration-details&source=gmail&ust=1729681367745000&usg=AOvVaw3YLCg3wKYK_ZuMnv-qUCaJ" data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="14" data-mce-fragment="1" data-mce-href="https://events.golfstatus.com/event/chipping-away-endocrine-cancer/details/registration-details" target="_blank">https://events.golfstatus.com/ event/chipping-away-endocrine- cancer/details/registration- details

Anyways, the reason I brought up the golf tournament is I reached out to your customer service team with a request to see about getting an abundance of bracelets as a donation or very low cost. Knowing that this is a small business I knew that was a risk...but I had to ask anyway! I was also in need of a new bracelet again, as I had stretched mine out once again. (small wrists, bigger hands, nervous ticks...ugh!) So I was chatting with Kenya from your tea. Great person! She was very pleasant to work with and did all she could to provide the best service, but I just didnt have enough saved as a backlog to purchase about 100 or so of the bracelets for the tournament goodie bags. I was devastated, but I did get some rubber ones from one of the places I sent a donation to.

So, here we are now, and I have another stretched out band.... but this time, the struggle is currently with my own self and a marriage. The wife and I decided to take a break, and she still isn't sure she wants to be back together....so we are living in two houses with two busy lives (Im a Construction Manager for a Commercial Building Envelope Exterior Company and she is a Certified Nurse Midwife) with three kids under the age of 10 all in school or daycare, and our 10 year anniversary is this Friday. All the while I was thinking... dang I NEED to start working on that tournament again!! One day I was scrolling through Facebook and the ad for the one that said "Focus on the Positive" caught my eye so I went in and clicked "add to cart" Then I saw the "I am with you, Always" and noticed it was less costly than Amazon, so I added that one, too! Then, at check out... it asked if I wanted to add "You are Enough"...I thought...of course I am! so I added that one. UPDATE...we are now separated heading to divorce, so these wo added bracelets help me focus daily on the road ahead!

Then after I bought these an ad came about for a shirt that said "Even broken crayons still color" I'm tempted to buy that hoodie for fall!

As I continue my journey to realign myself and find the Man in me I started using "Ready or Not. Here I Come." and I also got connected with a life coach who runs this thing called "Great Men Move Mountains" Such an uplifting thing to help show me that "It's going to be OK, no matter what" I actually joked with him and said....um why don't you have a coursework like this for women, and then at various time and ultimately the end you pair up people that are deemed compatible?

So, in closing... it wasn't really my first direct website purchase, but something told me this time I should!

One thing I've always known about me is I have to tell the full story, or I am going to be asking too many questions. So, there you have it!

Have a great day! Doing my best to reframe things in a positive way!!

Cheers, Andrew