Loved too tightly
Squeezed beyond comfort
Supported without strengthening
Driven away but cannot wean
Returning over and over
Blindly blurring the boundaries
Those are the ones needing it the most
Searching for their balance
In all the wrong places
Breaking free only to break down
Their only chance is right here
If only they knew how tough love is
What does tough love mean to you?
Monthly Group Chat
March 31st 2022 at 6:00pm PST
Click the button above when the time has come to join the chat. 😎
Bonus Chat for Founders: Look for an additional email from me for the link to the extended chat.
Continued blessings my friends,
Graham
What does tough love mean to me? In the traditional sense, it means doing what is in the best interest of someone else…no matter how much it hurts you…because you love them.
It also means being there for someone no matter how painful it is for you, because you love them.
The first part makes sense, but let me elaborate on the second part. When interactions with a loved one rip your heart out because it hurts so much to see their suffering, but you push on because they need you. That is also tough love because you are doing what is in their best interest despite it killing you.
Love certainly can be tough. It requires sacrifice and compromise and devotion to loving people where they are, even if it isn’t where you want them to be. It also requires boundaries, which is where “tough love” comes in. That’s hard for me as I am a reconciler; I always want to fix relationships so drawing a line and letting go is a struggle for me. I always give second chances but I’ve come to understand that I can’t compromise my own integrity to keep a relationship “happy”. Lots to think about here, Graham, as loving people is a lifetime process. And I also look forward to the next life where love is no longer tough.