Mason has got some awesome friends!

A good amount of people that knew me before the last few years probably would never have thought I would leave the golf business for another industry. I went into the golf business at age 18 and spent over 15 years there. I met a bunch of good people and the business took me to a variety of places both professionally and personally. When Julie and I decided that it was okay for me to change professions at age 34, it was a scary thing.

Mason arrived and the people at Costco, my employer, went above and beyond to make sure that Julie, Mason, and I knew that we were cared for and that they would do all they could to help us during that trying time. In fact, one of the first "non-family" I spent time crying with was a great person I met at Costco.

8 months later, you would think that people have forgotten. After all, Mason is doing great and it has become very easy for us all to forget what happened and look at him like he is just a little boy........and he is.....and I am not saying that I want anyone to handle him with ginger hands or anything. Anyway I am rambling.....

So I went to work a couple days ago and Costco is in the middle of their yearly fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network. This is a wonderful organization and the best fundraiser that Costco participates in (I am a tad bias ha ha). This is the only fundraiser where 100% of the funds raised stay in the local community that they were donated in. It is also the same organization that helps thousands of "Masons" every year across the US.

So I go to work and one of my friends at work asks if I have "seen the balloon?" Every donation gets a balloon that we put up behind the registers to display the amount of donations we are getting. Donations of $100 or more (quite rare) get big balloons that are strung up over the register bank and have photos or names that are easy to read. The people that have big balloons are guys like the acting CEO of the company, the team of supervisors, the founder of the company, other corporate big wigs, etc.

Add to that list this guy..........

It was quite a touching moment to have friends put together a donation in Mason's name. In fact, I was brought to tears over it and looked like a blubbering mess right there in the middle of the warehouse. It just amazes me how God has moved our family into a place of such support and strength. 8 months later these people are still affected by Mason and his progress. They still remember even though they did not go through it, themselves. They were there every step of the way though....kind words, questions on his progress, hugs and smiles for him when he visits, and even some encouraging words for us ha ha. Friends like these, Mason, are very hard to come by and should NOT be taken for granted.

So a great big THANK YOU and GOD BLESS to Molly, Jesse, Kamella, Eileen, Adria, Katelyn, Jared, Christine, the whole Front End team, and a number of others that wished to remain anonymous. You all are wonderful and I will never be able to put into words, properly, how special you have all made our family feel. This post can not possibly do justice to the size of your hearts!

We love you all!