DEAR ABBY: My husband, "Jamie," died earlier this year. My teen-age son, "Jamie Jr.," wants his father's military records. When I found them, I was shocked. Jamie got an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, but he also appeared before a board of inquiry for striking an officer.
Jamie never disclosed this to me or any of his family. It would have been a disgrace. Jamie and our son had a very close relationship, and I don't want Jamie Jr. to be disillusioned and ashamed of his father now.
I am tempted to "lose" these records. What do you think? -- SURPRISED WIFE IN OKLAHOMA CITY
DEAR SURPRISED WIFE: Give your son his father's military records. If you do, I can't help feeling your son will gain even more respect for his father. This is an excellent example of how people can change and grow, even though they may have made mistakes when they were younger.