Dear Younger Fred… one day they won't ask you to stay…
Time moves in a way you don't fully understand until you're standing inside it.
Matthias is already two. Soon he'll be five, walking into kindergarten with that oversized backpack. Then he'll be thirteen, navigating high school with friends, sports, and a life that slowly becomes bigger than you.
Okay… let's not rush the aging process.
But you know what I mean.
This past month you were home with him — not half-present, not between meetings, not mentally jumping to the next call. Just there. And something shifted in a way you didn't expect.
The bond deepened.
He looks at you differently now. Longer eye contact. A softer voice. Leaning into you instead of racing past you.
One morning he said quietly, "Dada… please don't go to work."
It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't a tantrum. It was just honest. My heart melted...
And it hit you.
Because one day he won't say that anymore.
One day he'll have friends, teammates, classmates — his own world. That's healthy. That's what we want for our kids. But this version of him — the small hands, the dependency, the simple joy of just being with you — is temporary.
Younger Fred, ambition will always whisper in your ear.
There will always be another opportunity to chase, another milestone to hit, another reason to push harder. High performers are wired that way.
But here's the part no one tells you:
You can rebuild a career.
You can recover financially.
You can create new opportunities.
What you can't do is rewind time.
There will be a last time he asks you to carry him. A last time he falls asleep on your chest. A last time he reaches for your hand without hesitation.
You just won't know when it is.
Ambition matters. Providing matters. But presence is irreplaceable.
Because one day, when the house is quieter and the toys are packed away, you won't wish you optimized your calendar better. You'll wish you sat on the floor a little longer. Read the book one more time. Stayed in the hug a few seconds more.
Time doesn't leave loudly... It just moves forward...
So build your career. Work hard. Be ambitious.
Just remember to prioritize the things you can never get back.
Baaaaam — that's it for today.
See you next Thursday.
Stay curious,
Fred
