A contemplative letter, sharing five lessons learned about time, trust, creativity, energy, and the people we choose to surround ourselves with. A gentle reminder to Leo to stay present, stay open, and stay true to who you are becoming.

Dear Leo,

We’re in the final month of the year now.
That stretch where life slows just enough for the truth to rise to the surface, the little shifts, the quiet realisations, the things you only hear when the noise settles.

I’ve learnt a lot this year.
Five lessons, in particular, keep circling back to me.
I want to leave them here for you…

1. The quality of your conversations reveals the quality of your company

This year I noticed something simple, but it landed deeply: you learn a lot about someone by what they choose to speak about.

Some talk about people. Small minds.
Some talk about events. Better minds.
Some talk about ideas. Great minds.

Surround yourself with people who stretch your mind, not shrink it.
People who make you think, not compare.

2. Pay attention to the energy people bring

Whenever you meet someone - in a job interview, on a school tour, making new friends, standing at the gates waiting to be picked up, you’ll feel something before you understand it.

A lift.
A drop.
A spark.
A heaviness.

That feeling is information. Your body often knows the truth before your mind catches up.
Learn to trust that quiet inner “yes” and that quiet inner “no”. It’s your first chemistry test, and it’s usually right.

3. Time moves fast… so stay here

I began writing these letters because time felt slippery,  like I could feel it running between my fingers.
Your baby photos still undo me a little. They remind me how quickly life changes, how fast you’re growing, how precious all of this really is.

I haven’t made peace with that yet. So I’m practising just being fully here.
Not living too far behind… not racing too far ahead… just meeting you exactly where you are today.

Because this version of you is magic. And I don’t want to miss a second of it.

4. Trust few, love many, and paddle your own canoe

I heard this line recently and couldn’t shake it..

Trust is something people earn slowly, through their actions.
Love, though… that’s abundant. You can give it freely.

But the part that stayed with me was this: always back yourself. Steer your own canoe.
Hold your own direction, even when the river bends. Especially then.

5. Never suppress your creativity - it’s your compass

For a long time, I stopped creating. Life got distracting and the quiet parts of me got pushed to the back. Coming back to writing this year has felt like coming home.

It reminded me that creating with your hands, your words, your imagination, is one of the purest ways to feel alive.

Don’t let the world talk you out of your creativity.

These are the lessons I’m carrying into next year.
If even one of them helps you someday, then writing them down was worth it.

And as ever, I’m left with the same thought I always have at the end of these letters:

What lesson will you teach me next?

Always,
Daddy xxx

Including my first time at the BBC studios in London and first time meeting Professor Green, real name Stephen.

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P.S.
Thank you for being here.
I hope these letters help you pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself, even for just a moment.