I HAVE A SMALL, CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY with diverse ideas about how to live life. Both my sons have left the "nest," one to work with at-risk teens, and the other to work with my brother, his uncle, in his property management business. At times, this dear son has had a tough go having to learn to make hard choices that include good work ethics.
His employer, the uncle, can be both generous of spirit and extremely critical. At a family gathering a few years ago, which included my former husband (my son's father), critical attitudes flew left and right with this son being the center of criticism. The results were that my former husband wrote a harsh letter to my brother, essentially cutting him out of his life—"forever."
Nevertheless, our son continued to work for my brother.
