Greetings,
I'm Bridjet, the founder of Sending Sunshine Gifts, and I'm thrilled to share the story behind our mission with you today.
Life often takes unexpected turns, and my journey is no exception.
With the kids all grown up and living their own lives, my husband and I had big dreams about our future, living cozily in our lake house in Northern Michigan. We had just bought a little condo downstate so we could sell our main home while having a place to keep our belongings for when we’d come to visit the kids.
Just a week after closing on the condo, we got the terrifying news that he had lung cancer. All we could do is cry together and pray together. A few short weeks later, we found out that I had breast cancer. Talk about getting knocked down before you've even had a chance to pick yourself back up.
These diagnoses and what followed would change our plans permanently. The life we talked about and dreamed about together would not happen.
Just two and a half years later, I would hear my love’s voice for the very last time. At 3:00 am exactly twelve hours before he took his last breath, he lifted his arms towards me, smiled, and said “I love my bride.” Those were his last words, and are permanently etched in my memory.
I could talk about Rich for much longer than anyone would care to listen, but for now, I want to tell you how Live Cozily happened.
My thoughts often wander and bounce all over the place and there are typically no less than a few dozen in my head at any given time. So, please, bear with me.
Also, in no way shape or form do I intend to offend or upset anyone, and I am not attempting to force my beliefs on anyone. I’m simply sharing my own, real-life stories, in my own, honest, unfiltered words.
There are moments or events in your life that change you from who you used to be into who you are. They are called defining moments, and these are mine.
Bereavement
A huge part of who I am has to do with the fact that I have experienced so much loss. First, it was my father at age four. That tragedy is forever ingrained in my memory, and it was truly a life-defining moment, even at such a young age.
That was my first experience with loss, but sadly would be just the beginning of many, each one ripping a piece of my heart out and forever changing me.
For a long time, I questioned why my life was filled with so much loss, often believing I could not endure anymore and yet doing just that.
When I found my five-year-old son lifeless in his bed, it felt like I could not possibly take one more breath. For eight full years, I begged God to end my suffering, and each morning, I’d wake up astonished that I had to face yet another day without my child in this world. Eventually, healing came, and what I learned from that healing is what helped me to face all of the losses afterward.
Strength
All of that loss leads me to the next thing that maybe I don’t necessarily believe defines me, but certainly, the people in my life believe does. It is my strength and ability to endure things that would make most people crumble. To say that life has been challenging would be an understatement. I have never felt like I was strong, just that I wasn’t given any choice other than to keep going. Nonetheless, throughout most of my life, I have felt like everyone expected me to be a pillar of strength regardless of the situation, even at times when I felt I needed someone to be strong for me. It wasn’t until I met my husband, Rich that for the first time in my life, I had someone to bear that burden for me. He was my rock.
Depression
When it comes to your children, however, nothing can bring you to your knees more than watching them suffer and feeling helpless to save them from it. All four of my living children have suffered to some degree, with depression and anxiety. So severe at times that I didn’t know from one day to the next if one of them would succumb to it and take their life. This topic is too personal to discuss at this time, and I wish to keep their personal struggles private for now.
Cancer
Obviously, cancer has touched my life and is very personal to me.
I’ve had cervical cancer and breast cancer. Currently, I’m five years out from my last diagnosis, but my oncologist says I can’t be considered cancer-free for at least six years because of my strong family history.
You’ve all heard that I lost my husband to lung cancer and my aunt to breast cancer. I also lost my dear friend of 30 years to pancreas cancer. Two friends to kidney cancer. One to brain cancer. Another aunt to stomach cancer. These are just the ones who lost their battles. There have been many other family members who have been diagnosed and beat it.
Poverty
Growing up, we moved a lot. My mom was raising the four of us alone and life was a constant struggle. We’ve slept in our car, in basements, hotels, etc. We’ve lived without gas or electricity or food. We’ve counted on the kindness of others to help us survive. We did survive.
No matter how much my mom struggled though, she has always been the kind of person to give her last cent to someone else if she thinks they need it. Even if it means that she goes without. She is still that way today.
Growing up this way along with witnessing my mom’s generous nature has always inspired me to give and help others.
Faith
It’s funny, but no matter where we were as children, somehow the Sunday school bus always found us. My little sister and I loved Sunday school, and I believe it was these lessons that are responsible for the biggest and most important part of what defines me. Knowing that God loves me so much, that he gave his only son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified on the cross, so that I may have eternal life. Now that is powerful, and that is the one constant throughout my entire life that has kept me going and thriving.
It has not been disclosed to me yet, what my purpose is, but I am certain that it will be revealed and I believe that all of the experiences of my past will play a part in preparing me for that purpose.
Living Cozily and Sending Sunshine
Finally. Here we are to the point of this entire post.
Having been out of work for oh, fifteen years or so, and having lost my husband, who was the breadwinner, I found myself in need of generating some source of income.
Having jumped around in the past from one job to another, and being 50 years old, with no degree and little relevant experience, I tried to figure out what would be my next challenge. See if you can figure out what direction I should have gone in, based on some of my previous job experience:
o Mom since 1988. (5 kids)
o Waitress and bartender for 2 years
o Nail tech for a year
o EMT for 15 years and firefighter for 10 years
o Car salesperson for 6 months (top salesperson for 2)
o Mail carrier for 6 months
o Phlebotomist for 6 months
o Casino Medic for 3 months
o Avon rep
o Tupperware rep
o Telephone directory delivery person
Well, I decided to take an online real estate agent course. Passed the state exam and became a Realtor in the state of Michigan, employed with Keller Williams. Yay! A new career.Not so fast. Apparently, everyone is looking for an experienced Realtor with lots of past sales. I’m not giving up on this, just yet, but I needed something more.
That is where Sending Sunshine came into my life.
My son, Zachary, being 6'7" suggested that I create a t-shirt line for tall people. He said he’d help me with all of the website stuff and marketing stuff if I could do all of the production. In trying to come up with a catchy name for this shirt company, I came across the word cozily and thought it was perfect for a t-shirt company.
According to the Oxford Learners Dictionary, cozily is an adverb meaning, 1. In a way that is warm, comfortable, and safe. 2. In a way that is friendly and private.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it means, 1. In a comfortable, warm, and pleasant way.
Sounds nice, right? But, was the t-shirt making business really for me? No. I enjoy making clothes for my family, but I didn’t really want to make it a business. But it got me thinking about what would I enjoy doing and maybe even be good at, that I could also generate an income?
It was important to me that I could continue to help people too. So, I thought about it and as I mentioned towards the beginning of this story, my mind likes to bounce all over the place, juggling dozens of thoughts and ideas all at once. So, it keeps evolving.
But, I thought I’d better reserve a domain because I really liked that word, cozily. Unfortunately, so did someone else and it was already taken.
Living cozily, in a warm, comfortable, pleasant, and safe way sounded perfect.
My thought is that I’d love to create a space where people who may be going through hardship, or who know someone who is, can come to get ideas and products to help them find peace, comfort, and joy in their lives.
I’d like for it to be a space where I can share my own creations with others and use the proceeds from those things to continue my charity work.
Ideally, I’d like to source everything else from other small businesses across the country that have values such as being socially good, eco-friendly, sustainable, organic, and vegan.
My plan is to have a catalog of individual items available for purchase, but my main thing will be creating care packages that cover a variety of needs. Creating these packages and knowing that someone will receive them and my efforts will in some way or another make their life easier is where I will find my joy.
There is still so much to work out, and I’m excited to get started.
I look forward to sharing with all of you as this journey progresses.
Sending Sunshine Gifts is about living cozily and providing a space where those facing hardship can find peace, comfort, and joy. I plan to source products from small businesses with values that align with social responsibility, sustainability, and kindness.
Our catalog will include individual items for purchase, but our focus is on crafting care packages that cater to various needs, spreading joy and support.
As we embark on this journey, we want to hear from you. Share your stories, recommend products, and suggest future topics you'd like us to explore.
Thank you for joining us and reading our story. We look forward to sharing the sunshine with you as this journey unfolds.
Be well.
Please comment below or contact me at bridjet@sendingsunshine.com