My BTC success story (so far)

I’m writing this to give others a bit more diamond in their hands, and yeah, maybe to gloat a bit. As this is the first time I’ve really written or discussed this. I am a caterer by trade, I started my operation almost 10 years ago, and I have very fortunately been successful so far. I catered a clients wedding in 2017. This client happened to work for a crypto exchange and got paid in BTC. I never bothered to find out what exchange, as crypto in general was new to me at the time. When I hosted the wedding menu tasting for him and his fiancé a few months before their wedding, he offered me something that, unbeknownst to me at the time, would change my life. His catering total was ~$12k, and during the tasting he asked “So, I’m not sure if you know of bitcoin, but I work for an exchange and get paid in bitcoin. Would you be interested in accepting bitcoin as payment instead of USD? I don’t mind either way, but if you want USD it’s extra work/time for me to convert it from bitcoin.” I had so many questions, like “well then how do you pay your rent/mortgage?” “Why are you spending it?” And most importantly “what the hell is bitcoin and why do I want it?” But instead, I asked for some time to think about it. After talking with a friend I knew that had been mining it for a few years already, and realizing I was already having a decent year financially, I decided to take half in cash and half in bitcoin. At the time, Bitcoin was worth around $3k each. This client kept asking “are you sure just half?” But was also not trying to sell me on it. In fact he never promised me it would be worth more or less than what it was then, only that “it has potential”. I said screw it, started an account on an exchange and had him send it. Half of the contract was ~$6k. He sent it that day, and the price that day was around $3k/BTC. I ended up with about 2.09 BTC.
On my friends request (thanks bud), I ordered a Cold Wallet, and right when it hit the exchange I transferred it to the cold wallet, put the wallet in my safe, gave my wife the seed info for backup (yes I trust her wholeheartedly) and forgot about it. I have since, through thick and thin, extreme highs and lows, FUD, crypto winters and bull runs, family mocking me, wife pleading me to sell during a few rough patches (especially during 2020 when no catering was happening anywhere), though it ALL…. I held. It was hard at times… really hard….But I held. I have bought more since then, just a few hundred dollars worth here and there, but MAN that was the best decision I ever made. Only slight disappointment is not taking the full catering contracts worth in BTC instead of just half. But no regrets. My son (12 y.o.) asked me the other day if I had any BTC or crypto, all his friends are talking about it now…. I told him “I think maybe a little bit”. He went on to tell me it’s too expensive now but I should have bought some bitcoin while it was cheap. I can’t wait until after the halving of 2028, when he’s old enough to know the impact it will make on his life, knowing his old man was holding over 2 BTC this whole time. That’s all. Just one man’s journey in this unpredictable, glorious, maddening, rewarding new(ish) financial space. Good luck to ALL out there DCAing, weathering the winter storms and riding the highs. Keep the HODL mentality and take it from me, so far it’s been very worth it.