Hey Reader,

I’m sending this letter from the spa.
I’m guiding a cycling trip with a small group of nine people. The first two days have been very relaxed. Yesterday we finished at 3:30, today around three. We even had time for the pool.

I’m sending this because it’s Tuesday. I’ve made a habit of writing you on Tuesdays, and I want to keep it. Even if I don’t feel like I have a big story today.

Right now I just feel okay. I’m not carrying tension, I’m not ruminating on anything, I don’t want to be anywhere else. I’m simply here, and I feel grateful.

I think about my life. A loving partner. A healthy child. Pictures from home while I’m away. Good friends. Health. Freedom to work on projects that matter to me. The joy of exchanging letters with people like you.

Earlier today I had a call with a past client. It felt less like work and more like a good conversation with a friend. My family is doing well. My parents are retired now, which feels like a success. We’re planning a trip together to Greece.

Of course there are things that could be better. More financial security, a bigger community, a house. But even those feel like part of the joy, because they are being built.

That call with my client circled around clarity. About wanting it, and where it comes from. For me, clarity comes from choosing a direction and committing to it. Not waiting for it to drop in my lap.

It feels the same as happiness or freedom. You don’t stumble on it, you build it.

A year and a half ago I committed to not writing another CV. I had tried for years to find the right job, and it failed. So I chose to build my own thing. I didn’t know what it would look like, but I knew the values I wanted: freedom, flexibility, time with family. That commitment gave me a path.

It’s still young. Still uncertain. But it is mine.

I didn’t know what this letter would be about when I started. I only knew I’d write one, because that’s my Tuesday commitment. And now clarity came: I want to celebrate the fact that I’ve stayed consistent. More than 50 letters since January.

Looking back, I see clarity usually comes after the fact.

So this letter is one of appreciation. For the chance to write. For you, reading. For the replies I’ve received. For showing up even when I didn’t know what to say.

The path is never fully clear. When I was in the military, it was. I could see 20–30 years ahead. But that was someone else’s path. Not mine.

For most of us, clarity isn’t a map of the next 10 years. It’s the next right step. The questions we ask. What matters most now. What we want to commit to.

Uncertainty is part of the deal. Maybe even part of the joy.

Today is a good day.
I don’t know what stage you’re at, but I’m sure there is something in your life to celebrate. Whatever you pay attention to grows.

So maybe this is an invitation to notice the good things. To show appreciation for them.

Sending you love.

One dad figuring it out, same as you.
​

P.S. These letters aren’t a broadcast, they’re a conversation. If something speaks to you, or even stirs you the wrong way, just hit reply. I read every message.

See more of my work at rooteddad.com​

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