Wise Word For Graduates

What 11 dads told their sons as they prepare for adulthood.

Two weeks ago, I hosted a rite-of-passage cookout in my backyard. Around the fire pit were 11 high school senior boys and their dads, gathered under the open sky on a cool spring evening. The moment was sacred—a symbolic passing of the torch from one generation to the next. It was not a ceremony full of pomp and prestige, but one full of presence and purpose. Fathers laid down distractions and picked up the mantle of blessing, leaning in to speak life over their sons as they prepared to step into the uncharted waters of adulthood.

I asked each dad to answer two questions in front of the group:

1. What is one mistake you made in college that you most regret and want your son to avoid?

2. What is one piece of godly wisdom you want your son to carry with him into adulthood?

For 90 minutes, one by one, the fathers spoke with humility, honesty, and hope. What followed was not a lecture but a legacy—a collection of insights forged in the fires of failure and faithfulness, passed down like a baton in a relay race. These were not theoretical musings but real-life wisdom from men who have lived enough life to know what matters most.

I want to share with you what they said. Whether you are a graduating senior, a parent walking this road with your child, or simply someone trying to navigate adulthood well, I believe their words will speak to you too.