The Morning I Let Her Walk Alone
A father's first experience letting his daughter walk to the bus alone—and the realization that we don't do quiet acts of protection for recognition, but because of who we are.
We Define Ourselves
Hey friend,
I had one of those small moments last week that made me think about life in a big way. Want to hear about it?
My parents just moved to a new place—closer to me, which is lovely. I had about 30 minutes to spare, so I dropped by to see how they were settling in.
Everything looked great, except for one corner—the TV area. You know that spot? Where the fiber optic modem meets the TV, the speakers, the wireless headphones, and somehow there are always way too many power adapters tangling everything up. My brother had helped them set it up, but it was... let's just say, chaotic.
My parents seemed a bit uncomfortable with the mess. I couldn't help myself—I rolled up my sleeves and spent those 30 minutes organizing everything. Hide what could be hidden in the cabinet. Keep only what's needed visible on the TV stand. Step by step, following my own logic, and before I knew it, everything was neat and orderly.
Here's the Thing
It's such a small moment, right? But I found myself feeling genuinely grateful. I'm in my 40s now, and my mind feels sharper than ever. Maybe even sharper than when I was younger.
I remember when I was a kid, my dad would tell me to study hard, learn English well. Rebellious young me would shoot back: "Then why don't you learn it?" His answer was always the same: "I'm too old. I can't learn anymore. Only young people can learn—you need to seize the time."
That moment stuck with me. The setting, the words, everything. I couldn't believe it was true—that people just... stop being able to learn. And you know what? My dad was only in his 30s when he said that.
(Don't get me wrong—I'm not complaining about him. He worked hard to support our family and raise my brother and me. I respect that deeply.)
But here's what I've learned over the years: our thoughts, our words, our actions—they have power. You can only become what you believe you can become. You cannot become what you don't believe is possible for you.
There's this book called The Alchemist that touches on this truth. It says “the biggest lie in life is believing that at a certain age, we lose control over our destiny.” If you believe you're too old to learn, you won't learn. If you don't believe you can be an educator, you won't become one. If you don't believe you can be wealthy, you won't be.
And I'm talking about real belief here—the kind that lives deep in your heart. Not just affirmations or surface-level mantras. That's why the Law of Attraction doesn't work for so many people. You can't fool yourself - your soul.
Believe Good Things, Expect Good Things
"Believe all things, hope all things." Believe in good, hope for good. When your life is full of faith and hope, good things naturally find their way to you.
This is the truth I've learned—or maybe I should say, remembered.
That's what organizing a messy TV corner taught me this week.
What do you believe about yourself? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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