Dr Laura:

Recently, my husband and I, and our 13 year old daughter, dropped my son off at college. While my daughter and I decorated his dorm, my husband and son worked on his computer. Finally, it was time to say our goodbyes and let him start his new chapter of his life.

It was very difficult to do this; and my heart ached for the little boy who once played Legos, Little League and liked to be home. I was married previously and then divorced when my son was two-years-old. When my son’s biological dad disappeared, I married my new husband who took on the role as a father and even adopted my boy. To this day, both my son and husband agree it was one of their most favorite days. My husband raised him to be a man. He showed him what character was. He was tough on important things and always made him accountable for his actions. As a mom, I didn't always understand the ways he went about doing things. My husband would tell me "Short term pain for long term gain."

After dropping my son off, we started on our way home. Within ten minutes all of our phones went off.  I looked at my text and it read: "I'm OK, Mom. Please don't worry about me. Most of all "I love you." My daughter read hers: "I love you, Baby Sis. I'm always here for you." Then as he drove, my husband handed his phone to my daughter. She read: "Dad, thanks for loving me when you didn't have to. Thanks for teaching me to be a man, when sometimes I didn't want to be. I made it!!!" Tears rolled down all of our cheeks. The years of effort and teaching the right things, even when it was hard, really made a difference. Thank you to my husband for making a MAN out of our BOY!!! A father's influence really matters!!!!

Michelle