Because I Love You, I Say No

If I say no,

it is because I love you.

Not because I enjoy the tears,

or the small hands crossing your chest in protest,

or the way your voice rises

like I have taken something sacred away.

No is not punishment.

No is protection.

They say all parents are responsible

for how they raise their children,

and that is true.

But it becomes heavier

when others do not respect

the shape of the boundaries you build.

I never wanted sugar

to be your comfort.

Never wanted chocolate

to arrive before hunger,

or sweetness

before nourishment.

Who started it?

It was never you.

It was the hands that offered

what I had already refused.

The voices that said one thing

and then another.

Coffee at one year old,

something I swallowed my frustration over

even as I watched habits form

before you could choose them.

Now you ask for candy every day,

and I am the wall you push against.

I must stand firm,

even when it makes me the villain

in your small, honest world.

No is no.

Vegetables before treats.

Fruits before sweets.

Not because I am cruel,

but because I am consistent.

I persist because someone has to.

Because love is not always soft.

Because wanting the best for you

means choosing what is hard

over what is easy.

One day,

you will understand

that every no

was a quiet yes

to your health,

your future,

your becoming.

And until then,

I will keep standing my ground,

loving you enough

to mean it.