This is my son. The one who graduated high school as valedictorian, a scholar athlete, and a gifted musician. He went on to a prestigious university, scholarships in hand, to study Bioengineering. On paper, his path looked flawless—hard work, academic excellence, and discipline had carried him exactly where everyone thought he should be.

But life isn’t lived on paper.

After graduation, he tried tirelessly to land a job in his chosen field. Application after application, interview after interview—he pushed forward. Yet I could see it in his eyes: the spark wasn’t there. His degree was impressive, but it wasn’t fulfilling him. And as a parent, I had to have one of the hardest conversations we’ve ever shared: that it was okay. It was okay to feel uncertain. It was okay to not know exactly what you want to do at 22.

I told him to stop forcing doors that weren’t opening and start seeking the ones that aligned with his heart. Redirect your energy, I said. Explore. Learn. Discover who you are and what truly matters to you.

And he did.

Over the last year, he has thrown himself into work with nonprofit environmental groups and the National Park Service. He has built trails, restored habitats, and immersed himself in causes that stir his soul. Here he is in the photo—laying down an ADA-accessible hiking path so that everyone, regardless of ability, can experience the beauty of a state park.

The opportunities that have come his way aren’t the ones he—or I—ever imagined. But they are real, tangible, and meaningful. They are shaping him, slowly and surely, into the man he wants to become. Had he stayed in that apartment endlessly applying for jobs he didn’t want, he never would have found them.

He hasn’t asked me to support him financially as he explores his options. But he knows my home will always be his home, my heart his refuge, my love and acceptance unwavering. I provide him what money can’t buy: a soft place to land in between assignments, encouragement when doubts creep in, and pride that doesn’t hinge on titles or salaries.

From the moment he was born, I knew he would fly. I just didn’t know what his flight path would look like. Watching him chart it now—step by step, choice by choice—fills me with awe. His journey isn’t a straight line, but it is uniquely his.

And I couldn’t be more excited to see where his wings take him next.