I’m in a hotel room in Palo Alto, California. It is the eve of my son’s graduation from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Thanks to jet lag, I awoke early and decided to reread the essay that was the clincher (at least I believe it was!) to getting accepted to GSB in the first place.

The essay still makes me cry; just as it did when I first read it over two-and-a-half years ago. It’s especially poignant given that this weekend is Father’s Day and my thirty-fourth wedding anniversary. It is a genuine, respectful nod to the past and a promise for the future.

After Labor Day Weekend, my son and daughter-by-marriage will embark on the next chapter of their lives in Chicago. I look forward to learning what those new chapters will teach. They know how deeply I love them; how much pride I feel in what they have and will continue to accomplish. The only advice I can offer at this point is for them to reread  his “What Matters Most to Me and Why” essay.

The essay sheds light on what is most important to remember, but if all else fails, I’ll be on call to remind them.