This week, I am going off the path a bit.

As a professor for 20 years, I have seen many students begin to transition into adulthood.

Many students are confident and are secure in themselves; others are not.

One of the key things I have noticed about the students that have confidence and security is that they have the unwavering emotional support of their parents.

Their parents love them for who they are, not who the parent wants them to become: their perceived potential.

And even though the parent does not always agree with the direction chosen by their son or daughter, he or she supports the path traveled.

These students have learned to make decisions for themselves, understanding that there may be consequences to those decisions, but knowing that their parents’ love will always be there.

So let’s give our children a foundation of confidence and security by loving them for who they are and support the paths they choose for themselves.