“This is a wonderful day, I have never seen this one before.” Maya Angelou
Steve approached every single day with joy and wonder. Each morning, he awoke with a smile, eager to know what the day would bring. He found the rainbow in every dark cloud. In this personal reflection, Steve described his attitude toward life:
The good, the bad, the ugly
Is there anything good that can come out of a terminal cancer diagnosis? I found several jewels in spite of my disease. First of all, I have developed a new appreciation for life on earth. I appreciate all of nature’s beautiful wonders including the trees, animals and mountains. And I have renewed my faith in God and Jesus. I know that they have a place ready for me in Heaven when it’s my time. Another thing is I no longer let stress control my life. Life is too short to stress about the small stuff. Situations which used to irritate me no longer are a factor in my behavior.
The bad and the ugly? Sure I have this. But so do a majority of the people walking on the earth. I get sick after my chemotherapy, I lost my hair, I have numbness in my feet and fingers. But I’m still alive! Deep down I think my Ironman Triathlon training got me mentally and physically ready for this fight. Even on my bad days I tell myself that EVERYDAY IS A GOOD DAY! regardless of the setbacks I’ve encountered during the day. Tomorrow is another day and it will be a great day.
For some, it may be hard to imagine that any person, any average person who you might pass on any street on any given day, could genuinely, deep down, feel this way. For Steve it was authentic. It was simply how he saw life. It was apparent when he was a small child, it was apparent when he was a young man, and most incredibly, it was apparent every single moment during his battle against cancer.
His Mom saw his irrepressible optimism and joy of life when he was just a little boy. She tells a story from a time when he was about five years old.
From a very early age, Steve loved baseball. He was goal oriented and showed early signs of developing patience, persistence, and optimism.
During his early years, the family lived in Torrance, California where there were many boys of all ages in their friendly neighborhood. Several times a week the big boys (the pre-teen group) would gather in the street in front of the Andrews home and play baseball. At the age of five, Steve wasn’t part of the big boys group. But whenever the boys would start to play, Steve would run into the house, pull on his baseball cap, find his Grandfather’s old baseball glove, run back outside, sit in the grass, and patiently watch the boys – eagerly awaiting his chance.
Day after day little Steve sat there, happily waiting and watching. Then one day, his moment came. The big boys had a conference. Then they turned to Steve and asked him to join them in the position of outfielder. Steve was beyond happy! He ran to his position, and then the boys put their plan into action. One of them turned and gently tossed the ball to Steve, who knew exactly what to do. His outstretched hands caught the ball, and with all the strength his determined little body could muster, he threw it to the pitcher.
Maybe it was in that simple gesture of kindness from a group of anonymous boys that Steve learned the value of patience and optimism. Or maybe those values were just reinforced by the experience. Either way, they continued to be hallmark characteristics that shaped the rest of his life.
Later in life, as a young father, Steve’s energetic optimism began to visibly influence others. As soon as his daughter Karlie was old enough, she and Steve started playing basketball together. Steve was an avid basketball fan! He had played ball at Capital High, and followed the L.A. Lakers his entire life. As Karlie grew up, the game became a very special connection between father and daughter.
Karlie joined her first basketball team when she was just six, and Steve was very excited that a sport he was passionate about also ignited a light in his daughter. He took her to all of the practices, open gyms, games, and team activities. He was positive and supportive towards the entire team and the coaches and parents loved being around him.
The following year, when Karlie was seven years old, Steve decided to take on the job of head coach of her Y-Ball team. He continued his coaching role for several years and took Karlie and many other young girls from the YMCA’s recreational league all the way through the competitive AAU basketball teams in grades 6 through 9. And he continued to be an important influence in the girls’ lives as they moved into their high school basketball years.
The girls idolized Steve. He was kind to each, and he was an amazing role model to all. And those girls on the team who needed a little extra positivity in their lives – a good example Dad to look up to – were especially fond of him. They all loved to spend time learning from Coach Steve. He made them think, challenge themselves, believe in themselves and, most importantly, he had them laughing and smiling the entire time.
Practices were a highlight in their days and they all worked very hard to show Steve that they were everything he believed them to be. He was more than a coach, he was also their source of inspiration. One year, when the team got purple uniforms, the girls wanted to name themselves the Lakers because that was Coach Steve’s favorite team. His favorite team was, hands down, going to be their favorite team! Karlie was especially proud to be Coach Steve’s daughter. She felt blessed to call everyone’s favorite guy, her Dad!
After graduating from Junior High School and the AAU basketball program, Karlie moved on to play ball for Steve’s alma mater, the Capital High Golden Eagles. During her sophomore year, Karlie made the team as the youngest varsity player. Her Dad was the first person she wanted to tell. She couldn’t wait to see his reaction when he heard the news – and she wasn’t disappointed. True to form, his mix of excitement and pride was infectious. Steve made Karlie feel honored to have been given the opportunity to carry on the family tradition!
Karlie and the rest of Coach Steve’s players had formed strong friendships through the basketball teams – friendships that lasted far beyond their Y-Ball and AAU years. Several of those young girls went on to play together for Capital High. And although he wasn’t their coach during those high school years, Steve continued to be a positive presence. He went to all of their games and open gym sessions, and he helped with home practices. And after each successful game, Steve and Karlie always celebrated by going out for an Oreo Milkshake.
One year the lady Golden Eagles came together as an exceptional team. Five of the girls who had, back in the sixth grade, begun to develop their skills under Steve’s coaching played on that memorable team. And, when they took it all the way and won the Idaho State Division Five Championship, they didn’t forget the person who had molded them, inspired their love of the game, been the glue that held their special bond together – the person who had been a huge part of their victory. Amidst the post-game chaos and excitement, the girls gathered around their Coach Steve and, as a group, held up their trophy for a picture.
That photo, with Steve in the center, radiating his huge bright smile, documented the joy, love, and pride that Steve felt for his players – and inspired each of them to feel that for themselves. The picture is one of Karlie’s most cherished and, along with the game of basketball, holds many happy memories, which will forever have a special place in her heart.
Every day, in everything that he did, Steve inspired those around him to approach life with enthusiasm, optimism, and gratitude. He led by example.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24
CaringBridge Posts
Steve Update – 2/25/13
By Steve Andrews — Feb 25, 2013 11:06pm
Hello everyone!
I thought it was a good time to give you an update. My treatment schedules have become inconsistent. On two occasions my white blood cells have been too low to allow the full chemotherapy treatment. The doctor says this is normal. On both occasions I came back the following week and had a normal cell count. The problem is you try to schedule some non-medical activities, and then you have to change your plans. I’m becoming more flexible in my schedule.
Over the past few weeks Julene and I have been staying busy – in a fun way! Over the President’s Day three day weekend, we went to McCall with JeNelle (Julene’s sister) and Cory. We had a great time. Highlights included snowshoeing in Ponderosa State Park and having some wonderful meals in the local restaurants.
Right now I’m writing this message from the Hacienda Hotel/Casino in Boulder City, Nevada. We are here for the annual Boise Aeros Triathlon Club’s Winter Training Camp. We arrived on Friday night and have been busy. We started Saturday with a 10k run in the Bootleg Canyon. The race was called “Blood, Sweat, and Beers”. And this race lived up to its name – except the beer part. The course was tough and steep with a lot of rock sections to climb over. No serious injuries, but Julene fell a few times and got banged up pretty good. But we both finished! We’ve had some good bike rides the past few days. It’s been nice to get outside and see some sunshine.
The support I’m getting from everyone is growing by the day. More and more people are wearing the Cancer Wristband labeled “No One Fights Alone”. In fact I’ve got supporters wearing the wristband from all over the country including California and Kansas. The color of my wristband is Periwinkle for Esophageal Cancer.
My next C Scan will be in Mid-March. This will tell us if the treatments are continuing to work. Based on how I feel, including my high energy level, I’m optimistic for the results.
Every day is a good one. I look forward to seeing the morning sun every day. And it’s so exciting to wake up and see what the Lord has planned for me. God bless all of you!
Love, Steve
