Lately, I have been noticing something new. I wake up excited.

Lately, I have been feeling lighter. Perhaps literally, as the weight slowly comes off. But what I really mean is something deeper.

Where has this year gone already? Halfway through.

I look at the calendar on my wall, the giant Post-it notes filled with goals, projects, books, music, routines, and dreams. There are boxes checked and boxes still waiting. New ideas have appeared. Others have quietly faded away. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I think I may have made an important discovery.

This Sunday is Father's Day in the United States. It is also my younger daughter's 35th birthday.

This week brought a few small victories.