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 know 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 go pay for the bubble gum
you had taken 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 should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough...
to let you see anger, disappointment
and tears in my eyes.
Children must learn that
their parents aren't perfect.

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. And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.