It feels like it was just yesterday that we flew to Minneapolis during a freezing February to meet Leo, our three-week-old first grandchild.

So when we visited him and his family in Maryland last weekend, it seemed that he had become a six-foot-one-inch-tall-thirteen-year-old overnight. How did an awkward and very shy pre-schooler turn into a first-rate soccer goalie, looked up to (literally and figuratively) by his teammates?

We had a great weekend with everybody, as we always do. But what I found most exciting and gratifying about our visit was my Sunday afternoon conversation with Leo about his future. His grandmother (me) has helped others imagine their futures for decades. But on Sunday, it was Leo who was looking to me for advice. Thirteen is way too early to choose a career, but not too early to learn how to think about choosing one.

Over the years, I’ve done my best to give advice, but never with more pleasure than on Sunday.