History
WHO CARES?
WE DO!
When my wife Megan and I were first married and decided to have children, I was continually deployed and traveling for the U.S. Coast Guard. I knew that once we had children, being away from my loved ones would only got worse, therefore I needed a way of being with them, even though I couldn’t be there all the time. In my heart I needed to have something that I could do with them every night-Something that conveyed Megan and my love for them. This was the catalyst of our journey, a journey to develop songs and books for our children Christie and Alison! We needed books and songs that we could sing and read to them every night in their bedrooms or halfway around the world.
These songs were our family’s continuity and love across the many years and many, many miles.
The first song and book we’ve produced is “When You And I Are Fast Asleep” and was written as a tribute of love to our second daughter Alison. While I had already written our first daughter Christie her song, this second song was more difficult to put into words that would announce our love for her. While I struggled with the lyrics, my mother called me and said “Brad, I found this poem from your Great-Great-Aunt Sophie in a shoebox. She had written it back in the 1930s and I know you like poems, so I’m sending it to you”. My mom sent the original document to me, yellowed and folded over, just as she had found it in the shoebox. Upon unfolding the poem, I saw in front of me what would become “Alison’s Song-When You and I are Fast Asleep”. I immediately started to piece together the new song, and within 30 minutes I had developed the entire song with melody, guitar chords, piano and even some harmonies.
This song has now become my love and continuity with my beautiful second daughter Alison.
Through the next 14 years I would sing their songs to them whether at home, traveling or deployed. If I couldn’t sing to them Megan would, thereby keeping family life as steady state and continuous as possible. While the songs couldn’t, and never would take the place of Megan or I physically being home and holding our children, it was as close as I could be to them and show our love and caring.
On May 2nd, 2017 Megan passed from this earth after a battle with cancer. While our family was devastated by the loss of Megan, it was Megan’s wish that we build our company ABCandME.com (Alison Brad Christie and Megan Elizabeth) and publish our songs and books. Now you and your family can share the same Love, Continuity and Connection that our family had each and every night whether home or deployed. Read the book and sing the song at bedtime with your children or grandchildren and show them your love and connection.
Christie, Alison and I welcome you to the ABCandME journey!
Purposing
UNBROKEN CHAIN OF LOVE
To provide CONTINUITY OF LOVE to personnel and their children in the Armed Forces, Police and Firemen Associations, doctors/nurses, EMTs, and in general business people. ABCandME has developed ebooks/embedded songs and physical books that include the complete song words and illustrations. These ebook/song and physical book can be used each night by the parents and children to advance the pages and participate in the story of “When You And I Are Fast Asleep”. Accompanying this book will be a capability for the parents and the child to learn the song “When You And I Are Fast Asleep” so that they can sing it together or apart, just as Megan, Christie, Alison and I did every night.
Offerings
ABCandME exists because our Beautiful and Whimsically illustrated children’s book and personal song provide the means for you as a parent to be with your children, even when you’re deployed, traveling or standing duty and are not able to physically be there with them.
Upon opening our paired ebook/song, a child and parent are able to hear our beautiful song being sung to them while they manually advance through the illustrations. Opening this book and playing the song every night provides families with the continuous love and support to overcome the loneliness and distance created during extended deployments and duty standing. ABCandME also offers a coloring book, posters and calendar that all provide children, as well as adults, an extremely uplifting experience and the tools to cope with their isolation and loneliness.
Deployed, and in a remote location without connectivity access? Not a problem. The book and song can be downloaded on any digital device through our apps available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google and played anytime a child or parent wants to play it.
ABCandME provides the following merchandise to families needing Continuity of Love and Support:
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The App including ebook/embedded song
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Physical Hardcover Book
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Stand Alone individual Songs on iTunes, Amazon, Google (Male or Female Version)
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Coloring Book complete with all the book illustrations and over 30 different illustrations
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12 Month Calendar complete with all the book illustrations
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Beautifully illustrated Children’s Poster- 18” X 24” or 24” X 36” complete with all the words of the song When You And I Are Fast Asleep
A portion of the profits of each sale will be donated to different charity organizations assisting Wounded Armed Forces personnel, First Responders, Children’s Hospitals.