I Loved You Enough....

Some day when my child is old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell him:

"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 me for 15 minutes."

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

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

"But most of all, I love 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.