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Dear Atlas

A letter to our future.

By Life & Muse

September 7^th, 2019

Dear Atlas,

Since I was a young boy, I’ve always been a little stubborn. Not in the strong-opinions-strongly-held kind of way, but in the unbreakable-spirit-once-I-have-my-eyes-set-on-a-goal kind of way. As a kid, whenever I wanted a toy, I would constantly scheme and strategize my way into getting it, usually by asking my grandpa at just the right time and in just the right way. (In hindsight, he probably would have given me what I wanted regardless, because he was just that kind of grandpa. But that’s a story for another day.)

As I grew older, I developed new ambitions, but disregarded practicality and other obstacles just the same. From forming teenage rock bands, to founding digital design agencies, to finding my it girl, the subject of my daydreams may have continued to graduate, but my unrelenting pursuits to make them reality were all the same.

I share this because, for 35 years, I‘ve taken every opportunity to stubbornly chase my greatest loves to live my best life. And now, it’ll be my greatest joy to dedicate the rest of my days to helping you live yours.

When we meet in February, it’s hard to put into words what kind of world you’ll be joining. But if you can take from me just one trait, I hope it’ll be the same stubborn perseverance to chase your own greatest loves. Armed with that, it’ll at least matter a little less what the world throws at you.

In contrast, I hope you take much more from your mother. She’s the most caring, giving, and uplifting person I know, but I bet you know that already from the short 18 weeks you’ve spent together. Sure, she tends to leave cabinet doors open occasionally all the time, but it’s a small trade-off for all the metaphorical doors she’ll open for you in your lifetime.

As for your name — we hope you’ll see the world with it. It represents the unpredictable journey that led your mother and I to find each other (and inevitably you) and it’s a warming reminder that sometimes life’s greatest joys are the ones you couldn’t have seen from afar.

Regardless of what lessons you take or discard from us though, our simple hope is that you discover a world of things that are worth chasing. And then chase them. And if you can manage to do that with conviction, care, and optimism, even better.