For Our Daughter's Friends

I have not always been well liked by our daughter's friends.  In fact, there have been times that I have been both feared and hated.  For the most part, I'm okay with that.  You see, my job has never been to be their friend.  My job has always been to look out for the emotional, physical, and spiritual welfare of our daughter and that, in the past, has included her friends when they have been in our home or in our care.  I have been a parent first and a friend second.   I always told her friends that I would be the first to come their aid in a just fight (figuratively, of course)  and that I would also be the first to give them a swift kick in the pants when they needed it....again, figuratively.  Any wounds they received from me, I hope that now, as adults, they can begin to see that it was done in love.  You see, I don't care whether or not a child likes or loves me; I care that they are safe and on the right path.  I would rather someone be happy long term because they have chosen well than to have a fleeting, temporal pseudo happiness from wrong choices.  So, if you are reading this and you have been or are our daughter's friend, I loved you, cheered for you, cried over you (yes, I'm not the toughie you think), and prayed passionately for you....particularly the ones I fussed at.  I still pray for many of you....daily.  I watch from a distance, often only hearing news of you from you moms.  I hope you can see that I loved each of you, and while I would have enjoyed being your friend first, that's not what was needed.  Maybe you can't see that yet, but I hope that one you can and that there will be those who will watch out for and protect your children as well.