A few years ago, I was asked “what is the most important quality you look for in a teammate, whether at work or otherwise (i.e., sports)?” My answer: accountability. Essentially, the ability to reflect on the agency or team’s performance, and yourself as a part of that system – and take ownership over areas you …
Author Archives: leifandlila2008
Lila and Lucy – I Want You to Know
I want you to know that I love you more than you can possibly imagine. It’s impossible to quantify – but I assume my unconditional love for you is as vast as the Milky Way Galaxy, multiplied by two-hundred million. Before you, I was aimlessly wandering around without purpose or direction. I drank a lot …
The Perpetual Negation of Progress
I look at my two beautiful daughters, and my amazing partner – and I sometimes can’t help but feel guilty for not being able to buffer them more from the every-day tension and hollering this nation has been experiencing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I know politics in America has rarely been cordial …
Letters to Lila #8 – (Pride)
Hey Kiddo, I want to take this opportunity to simply express how proud I am of you. You’re a few months into 5th grade, and you’re working your little buns off in math and reading. At the end of 4th grade, you came home with a lower than anticipated reading-score, and I was a bit …
Letters to Lila #7 (Nightmares)
I felt terrified, accompanied by a panic I’ve never experienced. I was frantically searching – screaming your name, and calling out for you. I felt like a failure – as my only meaningful purpose on this earth is to protect and love you – to ensure you have every opportunity to succeed. I felt empty …
Letters to Lila #6 (Piles of Leaves)
8-20-2019 Dear Lila, The fall season in Pennsylvania is my fondest childhood memory. I remember how the season feels – everything about it. It was a seemingly short transition from summer to fall – just a month or so after starting school, the air would turn cold, and the winds began to gust. The green …
Letters to Lila #5 (It’s Ok to Not Be Ok)
8-6-2019 Dear Lila, I’m missing you quite a bit today – well, of course I always miss you, but today even more. The way the visitation schedule is set-up with your mom – you’re with me one week, then the next with your mother. After about 3-days or so – I start to think about …
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Letters to Lila #4 (Challenges are Opportunities)
8/2/2019 Dear Lila, I hope that wherever you are and whatever you’re doing that your life is filled with love and happiness. The last few letters that I wrote weren’t about the most pleasant topics, so I want to take a moment to remind you, like I must remind myself frequently, that our life has …
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Letters to Lila #3 (Bottles and Needles)
July 31, 2019 Dear Lila, I watched a documentary last night – and while I watched, intense emotions surged through my body. At one point, I gasped as I tried to hold back tears – but then I reminded myself that it’s ok to feel and express emotions…in fact, it’s a great thing. I remember …
To My Kids - The Thoughts of Your Father 