A father’s advice: Life’s lessons reveal meaningful paths

When I dropped my daughter off at college recently for the start of her freshman year, I left her with the following letter to hopefully give her some guidance as she entered this transformative period in her life. I had written a similar letter when she started high school, and I realized that the content had not changed much in four years. In reflecting on the letter, most of the guidance applies throughout our lives, which is why I received her permission to share it with Times-Dispatch readers. Dear Emily, As you start this new chapter in your life, I want to share some life lessons I have found to be very important. Up to this point you have largely adopted the values and ideas of your...