Hi, Dr. Laura:

Many years ago, when my daughter and I were in the car together, you asked a caller if she would eat a piece of delicious-looking chocolate cake if she knew that even one small piece contained cyanide.  You then equated that concept to dating relationships and deal-breakers.  My daughter asked what cyanide was, and just took it all in when I told her it was a deadly poison.

Fifteen years later, this same daughter was engaged to marry a man she'd dated for three years.  We loved him, and our two families became close.  Then two months before the wedding, she told me she had broken it off.  I peppered her with questions, pointing out MY reasons why I thought she was making a mistake, why they seemed perfect for each other and so on.  Choking through tears, she then said "Mom, please trust me.  There are some personal things I can't talk about yet, but believe me when I say there's some cyanide in his cake."

That shut me up for good, and I hugged her, assuring her I would love and support her through this ordeal.  She explained the full story when she was able, but at that moment, it was your words to a caller all those years ago that she had remembered and then used to convince me she was doing the right thing.  She has since met and married the RIGHT man (who has NO cyanide in his cake!).


Warmly, 

Linda