You & Me

by Tal Bauer

A parent can never stop loving their child. You cannot unlove this being you raised, that you sheltered and nurtured and cared for and shielded. Their joys become your joys, their heartaches, yours. Emmet tried me, often, but he never came close to making me yank back my love. A child isn’t the same, though. A child can unlove you. A child can look at you and find you wanting, realize you’re not great, not wonderful. Parents don’t get a free pass on a lifetime of love.