TRUE Love IS A Many Splendored Thing...

     Believe it or not, there is such a thing as loving TOO much; for when we tend to bestow this, 'too much lovin' ' on some folks, it can have the opposite-effect from what we might hope for and/or expect, and, be considered more as 'enabling' than love. When we give people the BEST of what we have for their well-being and in their best-interest, this is love; yet, when we give TOO much to some folks.. aid in any way we can, albeit, with good-intentions, sometimes, this 'backfires', having a negative-impact on that party; for, in doing MORE than we need or ought do for some people, we prevent them from doing for and helping themselves. Believe me, I know of what I speak, for I, myself, although I attempt being such no longer, have been an enabler for years; so much so, that I used to joke about how I needed to brandish the letter 'E', CAPITALIZED, across my forehead. I found out 'the hard way' that by 'indulging' people in my life, I wasn't doing them ANY, 'justice', after a point, as by and through my incessant need to love (code-word: SAVE) some of the persons in my life, I was hindering their growth, rather than helping them to grow. Live and learn, right? It can be torturous to watch those whom we love fail, flail, and falter; yet, sometimes this, indeed, is what one must do, for we cannot save everyone we know who is struggling. That which we CAN do, however, is to 'be there' for them and 'support' them when they're ready to take charge of their, own, 'issues'. It is one thing to have to be a constant, loving-presence in the life of a child; although, still, that child must learn, eventually, to stand on his/her own and be responsible for his/her life. As the Mother of adult-children, along with my propensity toward enabling, it has been a bit 'challenging', at times, to know when to 'back-away' and allow one or the other to find his way on his own. I will, ALWAYS, be here for them with love that grows day to day. It's simply, that, these days I KNOW the difference between love that helps a person grow and thrive Vs. 'love' that hinders such growth. When love is true, and it's motivation pure, there is NO such thing as TOO much as long as it gives those, whom we bestow it on, a 'fighting-chance' to do 'right' by themselves. Just Sayin'...