I love the rhetorical question: "How far will you go?" It can be applied to so many life experiences, and is a source of motivation for many.
As parents, we sometimes question ourselves on whether we have done enough when it comes to our own careers and goals. We also embrace it as a statement about parenting—what we will do for our children. In contrast, our children often interpret it as a challenge to achieve a certain level of success in school, the arts, or athletics. And, most of all, they apply the literal interpretation of the question to where they will go to college. Will it be close to home or far away?
I remember thinking that my oldest daughter would attend college as far away from home as possible. I was shocked when she chose a college only an hour away. I have been spoiled the last few years by being able to visit her easily and for her to come home whenever she wants. But last year, she applied for a special year-long program at Oxford University in England for junior year. When she got admitted, we were so proud. I agreed to help her move into her dorm in Oxford a few weeks ago. I cried the entire week I was there. During the flight home, I quietly sobbed in my seat. 
I know other parents feel similarly when their child looks at or attends a college that requires a plane ride or more. The distance feels unbearable. The fear we have for them and the fear we see in them when they question or doubt their decision, is terrifying. As parents, we want to protect them. Yet, we have raised them to go after their dreams.
In the weeks since my daughter left for England, I have found deeper meaning in the question, "How far will you go?" Any doubts I might have had about whether she made the right choice have disappeared.
Whether your child attends a college far away or leaves for a year to study abroad, it is exactly what we have raised them to do.
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My classicist daughter has taught me that the origins of what we see, say, and do often trace back to ancient times. So, I looked up the roots of the rhetorical question I keep asking myself. Its origins are less clear, but there is a long history of the saying being universally optimistic in both religious and literary texts. Going far is a good thing, whether we interpret it literally or figuratively. My daughter has taught me that too.
