Shine like the sun

First of all, I am ABSOLUTELY THRILLED that Jammin Java has EXCEEDED their goal for their fundraising efforts for their employees. While I still plan on sending my royalties from the Please Wash Your Hands collection to their GoFundMe, I thought, especially since they hit their goal, I would also start a new project!

There’s a story behind the Shine Like The Sun collection. I’ve shared this on Instagram but my friend Sam, who is now a nurse, really helped take care of me when I was feeling so lost and depressed my freshman year of college. Two times in particular:

Halloween was always a big deal in my house growing up. When I was really missing Candace and home around Halloween, Sam got me a cute little ghost to put up in my dorm room. It stayed in every room I had all through college.

When I didn’t make the dance team, after dancing for my entire life, I had an existential meltdown. I don’t think I left my room for two days. When I finally did emerge to meet him for lunch on the patio of Daly’s, our main dining hall, I was wearing a Hellogoodbye t-shirt, St. Andrew’s sweatpants, and lovely white goggle ass fake Dolce & Gabana sunnies. He said something to the effect of, “well look at you looking all CUTE.” Friends, I did NAHT look cute. But I still remember that random moment because it was the first time in days where I felt human and good about myself, and it was because of Sam.

Sam and I didn’t even go all through college together. He left Rider but before he did, he gave me his Old Navy Shine Like The Sun sweatshirt because I wouldn’t shut up about. It was worn at that time, and now it’s been over 10 years. I still wear it when I want to feel cozy, and I’ll never forget the little things my buddy did for me to make a really hard time in my life a little brighter. While we haven’t kept in touch as well as we should have, I’ve been trying harder since he’s one of the countless nurses working for us on the front lines.

They don’t have the supplies they need and they’re working around the clock. There are a ton of people making and donating masks right now, but as I said in my Look for the helpers post Kelly Dempsey and I have been keeping in touch. She’s organized a whole crew to make and send masks to hospitals. Indefinitely, I’ll be sending my royalty proceeds for the Shine Like The Sun collection to her directly to help cover supplies and shipping for her efforts.

Thank you for helping me to support in this worthy cause!