You can choose a different path from your family and still thank them for the road they paved.

Gratitude and divergence are not in competition, though it often feels that way from inside a family. Choosing differently is not a verdict on the people who raised you, and it does not erase the work that got you to a point where you had options at all. Both can be said in the same breath.

When you explain your plan, name what they gave you as well as what you are doing differently. Say it directly rather than assuming it is understood. It will not remove their worry, and it will keep the conversation from becoming a referendum.