Why This Exists
A few years ago, I found myself in a pretty low place.
My oldest son—pre-teen at the time—was struggling in ways we couldn’t seem to reach. His behavior was intense and constant, and it was affecting everything—our home life, our relationships, even our ability to spend time with friends. Nothing we tried seemed to work.
Around that same time, my wife was going through a really difficult season with her mental health. Life felt heavy. Dark, even.
That fall, I still made time to get out into the woods for a few days of hunting. I’ve always known that time outside helps—but that year, something else happened.
One evening, I stopped by a hunting camp where a few guys I knew were staying. They were all a few years ahead of me in raising kids. At some point, the conversation turned to parenting—and then, unexpectedly, to the struggles they’d had.
Each of them had stories. Hard ones. Honest ones.
And as I sat there listening, something shifted.
Nothing external in my life had actually changed.
But I didn’t feel as alone anymore.
I felt understood.
I felt validated.
I felt a small but real sense of hope.
The darkness didn’t disappear—but it wasn’t as heavy as it had been that morning.
That’s why this exists.
Because sometimes what keeps you going isn’t more advice or another solution.
It's connection.
It's knowing you are not the only one going through a tough time.
It's feeling that small but real sense of hope.
Imperfect Mail is my way of trying to recreate that moment.
Each month, I send a real, unfiltered letter from the middle of my own life—along with a few simple things to make the month feel a little lighter.
No pretending.
No having it all figured out.
Just something real, showing up in your mailbox.
Written by a Not-So-Put-Together dad, AKA Ryan Sarkkinen