The Peace of an Honest Day’s Work
And why showing up for yourself is never wasted
Dear Son,
There’s a kind of peace that doesn’t come from a paycheck.
It comes from earning it.
Not just the money—but the pride.
The stillness. The knowing.
These days, I work from home. I write. I create. I learn.
I wake up without dreading the day ahead—because I’m doing something that fits who I’ve become.
But I didn’t get here overnight.
In early sobriety, it was all survival.
Later, it became about learning.
And eventually… it became about contributing.
I found out I could do something that mattered.
Something that made money and made sense.
And I could do it without lying, hiding, or hustling myself into exhaustion.
That changed everything.
If I had a son, I’d want him to hear this…
Work doesn’t have to break your back or your spirit.
It can be something that builds you.
But first—you’ve got to show up for yourself.
You’ve got to believe that you deserve to feel proud at the end of the day.
You’ve got to learn the tools that let you build your own thing, your own way.
There’s peace in honest effort.
Especially when it’s yours.
And I promise you:
My worst day these days is a million times better than my best day before I stopped drinking.
With love,
—Fred (GeezerWise)
📌 This letter was written by Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise). If it spoke to you, I’d love to hear back—just hit reply.
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—Fred [GeezerWise]