I Loved You Enough

Someday when my children are old enough
to understand the logic
that motivates a parent,
I will tell them....

I loved you enough to ask where you were going,
with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to insist that you save your money
and buy a bike for yourself even though we could
afford to buy one for you.

I loved you enough to be silent
and let you discover that
your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to make you take
a Milky Way back to the drugstore
(with a bite out of it) and tell the clerk,
"I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it."

I loved you enough to stand over you
for two hours while you cleaned your room,
a job that would have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment
and tears in my eyes.

I loved you enough to let you assume the
responsibility for your actions
even when the penalties were so harsh
they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say
NO
when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all.
I'm glad I won them because,
in the end, you won too.

*Erma Bombeck

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