I double dog dare you to call him 'Coconut' in the email!!!!
I can see where the in-laws are coming from, especially as his parents. We try to raise our kids to be accountable for their actions, and it's hard to let that go.
Maybe you should leave that between him and them. “Parents of Coconut, I completely understand where you are coming from. However, I have learned that I can only control my own actions – his are beyond my reach. It’s easier for me to handle things than be disappointed and worried when he doesn’t pick up his assigned share. So, I’m going to do what I can on my own to ensure that S9 gets the soccer time that he is looking forward to.” Let them scream at him if they want to, it’s their son.
If he sees your email – the upbeat yet dark email – and then he hears his parents harping, he’ll know what came from whom. Maybe it will help to hear it from another source (doubtful, but maybe).
"It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere."
--Agnes Repplier, writer and historian
