I Loved You Enough

~I Loved You Enough~

Some day 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 the M & M's back to the
    drugstore 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. 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.

I loved you enough...
To let you hate me at times.