What It Feels Like to Be Proud of Yourself
No medals. No headlines. Just peace.
Dear Son,
For most of my life, I didn’t know what pride felt like.
Not real pride.
I faked confidence.
Chased approval.
Laughed off my pain and wore a mask.
But these days?
Pride looks a lot different.
It’s quiet.
It’s steady.
It’s doing the right thing when nobody’s watching.
It’s waking up and knowing:
“I built this life—one day at a time, one honest choice at a time.”
And let me tell you something:
That kind of pride is better than any applause.
If I had a son, I’d want him to hear this…
When you live in integrity—
When you keep showing up, even when it’s hard—
When you rebuild from the ground up…
That pride will sneak up on you.
And it will anchor you.
It’s not about money or trophies.
It’s about knowing you didn’t quit on yourself.
And that kind of peace?
It makes you want to help others find their own.
My worst day these days is a million times better than my best day before I stopped drinking.
With love,
—Dad
📌 This letter was written by Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise). If it spoke to you, I’d love to hear back—just hit reply.
💭 Got a question, memory, or topic you'd like me to write a letter about? Hit reply and let me know—I won’t respond individually, but I may turn it into a future letter. Consider it a suggestion box for the soul.
💌 Know someone who’d appreciate this? Forward it or invite them to subscribe at www.geezerwise.com.
⚠️ If you see a message below about pledging support—that’s Substack’s way of letting readers chip in if they want. Totally optional but always appreciated if this work means something to you.
—Fred [GeezerWise]