What Firefighting and Fatherhood Have in Common (Even If I’m Only Doing One)
- Jim Carlson
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
A few summers ago, the market was getting kicked around. You might remember the stretch. Screens full of red, clients calling more often, and every headline screaming uncertainty. I was working from my home office, and my son, not yet a year old, had a front-row seat to it all. Literally.
In that moment, sleepless and stressed, I was trying to show calm while carrying the weight of other families' futures. I remember pulling him onto my lap. I kept bouncing him with one hand while clicking through charts with the other. I didn’t enjoy taking the market correction calls, even though planning was in place. But I was grateful for that moment. He wasn’t worried. He just wanted his dad.
That photo still reminds me. The market has grown a lot since then. It will dip again someday too. But I don’t know how many more times my son will want to end the day on my lap like that.
This isn't just a financial lesson. It’s a life one. We plan so we can hold what matters closer.
I’ve seen a similar kind of weight in the firefighters I work with. Your stress doesn’t come from a screen. It comes from real trauma. From tough calls. From witnessing life at its worst and then being expected to carry on like nothing happened.
Still, I know many of you walk through the door at home, drop your bag, and scoop up your kid without hesitation. That transition from chaos to calm, from intensity to presence, is sacred. Not easy. Not guaranteed. But sacred.
Planning won’t erase the stress. Markets will still swing. Alarms will still sound. But when you have clarity about your future and your family’s direction, it gives you space to show up where it counts. Whether that’s on the job, around the dinner table, or holding your kid at the end of a long shift.
Remember what matters. Then build around it.
Carlson Planning Company is a registered investment advisor domiciled in the commonwealth of Massachusetts offering advisory services in jurisdictions where it is properly registered or exempt from registration. This blog is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered personalized financial advice. All investments involve risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making financial decisions.
