Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for sharing wisdom with those of us lucky enough to read your books and listen to you on the radio. I'd like to share an incident that has a happy ending thanks to your admonitions on child rearing.

My son had some rocky times as a teenager, but that did not prevent us from having a close relationship. I think a big part of the problem was my ex-husband, who deserted us when he was four, returned ten years later and constantly told our son that I was too strict.

On his eighteenth birthday, we were sitting on the edge of his bed talking about various things, and he suddenly said, "You know what Mom? I'm free now." I smiled, took his hand and said, "No Sweetheart, I'M free now." I then gave him a few examples about housing, food, and medical care. He sat there thinking silently for a few hours, and by the time he came down for dinner he had an appreciative attitude that continues nine years later.

I owe a lot of my success to following your advice about providing loving boundaries and easy forgiveness for mistakes.

With much appreciation,

Ardyth