DEAR ABBY: The letter from "Ticked Off in Louisiana," who was concerned by the many thumbtack holes resulting from his stepdaughter's posters, brought back a fond memory.
When our teen-age daughter wanted to paint one wall of her bedroom black, I choked and sputtered, but I didn't criticize. My wife and daughter spent a memorable afternoon together painting and redoing the room. I was enlisted to remove the bed frame so she could have her mattress on the floor. She loved it. She was the envy of her friends, who chorused, "What cool parents!"
When our "baby" left home a few years later, I spent a bittersweet afternoon repainting her bedroom. It was a four-hour trade-off for a precious memory and an ongoing relationship with a daughter who is loving, respectful and cherished.
Someone once said about running a company, "Take care of the little problems, and the big ones will take care of themselves." It works in life as well. -- SAN DIEGO DAD
DEAR DAD: I agree with that philosophy. Since the letter from "Ticked Off" appeared in my column, I have been inundated with mail. Readers inform me that there are now adhesive products that allow posters to be displayed without damaging walls. I received samples of two products offered by 3M that feature Command Adhesive, which the company claims will come off cleanly without damaging the surface of the wall.