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By: David R., 57, CEO & Father of Three

 

I built an empire from nothing. People look at me and see a leader, a man who always has the answers. But the truth is, my greatest lesson came from admitting I didn’t have one.

 

My youngest son, Ben, was always different. Sensitive, creative, not the “tough” kid I expected. I didn’t get him, and I didn’t try to. When he told me at 16 that he was struggling with anxiety, I gave him the classic, “You just need to toughen up.” He shut down.

 

A year later, he attempted suicide.

I sat by his hospital bed, staring at this boy—my boy—who had felt so lost that he thought leaving was better than staying. The weight of my own ignorance crushed me.

 

So I did what I always do when I don’t understand something—I researched. Books, articles, therapy sessions of my own. I learned that emotions weren’t weaknesses; they were signals. That my role wasn’t to fix him, but to support him.

 

The first time I said, “I don’t know how to help, but I want to learn,” my son actually smiled. That was the moment our real relationship began. Now, we talk. Not perfectly, but honestly. And if there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s this—real strength isn’t in pretending to have all the answers. It’s in showing up, listening, and learning.