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As a lawyer and parent of two young children, the commentary by Law Society of Singapore president Adrian Tan hit close to home ( , Dec 6). I have said more than once, not entirely in jest, that I would not want my children to become lawyers. Much of it comes from a place of exhaustion and the strain that one is put under during litigation. Who wouldn’t want to spare his children that pain? But there is a tension between wanting our children to be fulfilled and happy, and desiring that they become resilient through adversity. More crucially, I am convinced that we should desire for our children to become people who dare to make a decision and follow through with its consequences, and who develop their own value systems by doing so. As Mr Tan rightly pointed out: “If parents do not want their children to be lawyers, the issue might not be about the profession or about children, but rather about parenting.” I was prompted to examine my own journey in the legal profession. I did not make a one-off career choice to become a lawyer; it was a series of decisions. It took much reflection and career prototyping, and I needed to understand myself as well as the ecosystem in which I operate. Through that, I cultivated a deepening sense of calling and conviction – that lawyers are healers tasked to be a balm in social conflict, to be peacemakers, and to bring restoration to the broken parts of our society. I desire the same for my children. I want to witness them finding the courage to make difficult decisions, and choosing a profession and/or changing roles if they have the conviction to do so. I long to see them go through seasons of transition with perseverance, knowing that by doing so, they will grow in their discernment and sense of calling. So, would I want my children to become lawyers? Perhaps that would be asking the wrong question. It is not about whether we would want our young to follow in our footsteps. Instead, each generation should ask how their own stories or journeys can endow the next generation with the courage to make decisions of their own, and the ability to better discern a sense of calling, pursue excellence, identify areas of need in our society, and do the hard work of putting it all together for the sake of their generation and the next.