I’m Trying Not To Influence My Teens’ High School Choices But It’s Hard

When I dropped my daughter off at cross-country practice, I paused to watch the high school marching band rehearse. As I watched the kids play their instruments and the color guard practice their routines, I was instantly transported to a time when I, too, twirled a flag in front of a frenzied Friday night crowd.

If I looked hard enough, I could see the way the lights danced on our sequined costumes and I could practically smell the autumn air on the nights when we’d compete against other hig...