I Wouldn’t Be Here Without These People, A Birthday Thank You

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Today I turn 47.

Birthdays have a way of slowing you down, even if just for a moment. They make you look backward before you look ahead. They make you count things that cannot be measured. Time. Love. Patience. Grace.

If I could thank one person for every year of my life, this is what I would say.

To my mother:

Thank you for the foundation.

Not perfection. Not a flawless roadmap. A foundation.

Thank you for teaching me how to work, how to show up, how to keep going even when things felt uncertain. Thank you for modeling responsibility before I ever understood what the word meant.

Much of what I stand on today was built quietly by you long before I realized it mattered.

To Christa:

Thank you for choosing me, especially in the seasons where choosing me was not easy.

Thank you for building a life with me, not just a schedule. Thank you for the late night conversations, the shared worries, the small wins, and the belief you showed even when I doubted myself.

Every good thing I am building now is stronger because it is built with you.

To my kids:

Thank you for changing the definition of success.

You taught me that achievement without presence is hollow. That time is the real currency. That laughter at the dinner table matters more than any number on a screen.

You made me want to be better, not louder. Calmer, not busier. More intentional with everything, especially my time.

You gave my life direction in a way no plan ever could.

To friends and family:

Thank you for the consistency.

For the check in texts. The shared meals. The honest conversations. The memories that stack up year after year and quietly become the story of a life.

You reminded me that no one builds anything meaningful alone.

To mentors, teachers, and coaches:

Thank you for seeing potential before I fully saw it myself.

Thank you for challenging me, stretching me, and holding me to a higher standard. Thank you for the lessons that did not feel comfortable at the time, but became invaluable later.

Growth often comes from borrowed belief before it becomes your own.

To clients, readers, and followers:

Thank you for the trust.

You allowed me into a vulnerable part of your life. Your money. Your fears. Your goals. Your families.

Helping others build clarity and confidence around money has been one of the most meaningful chapters of my life, and it only exists because you let me serve.

To the version of me at earlier ages:

Thank you for not quitting.

Thank you for surviving the mistakes. Thank you for learning the hard lessons. Thank you for taking risks without knowing how things would turn out.

Every chapter, even the uncomfortable ones, led here.

What 47 really feels like:

It feels grounded.

It feels grateful.

It feels less rushed and more focused. Less about proving and more about protecting. Less about chasing and more about building what lasts.

I am deeply aware that nothing I have done was done alone.

If there is one lesson I carry forward into the next year, it is this.

A meaningful life is built through people. Money supports it. Plans protect it. But gratitude is what gives it depth.

To everyone who has played even a small role in my first 47 years, thank you.

I carry you with me into whatever comes next.

If you want help building habits that stick without stress, The Money Dad newsletter shares practical systems and routines designed for real families, not perfect ones.

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