TOUGH: [tuhf], strong and durable; not easily broken or cut, not brittle or tender
LOVE: [luhv] a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person, a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
Wow, those two words put together is some serious stuff! Strong, not brittle or tender, yet tender & passionate all at the same time. Why can't our kids understand this? As a younger person, lets say ages 15-26 (and I'm sure my parents could vouch for the exact years), I had no clue what the true meaning of tough love was. In my eyes, it wasn't love at all, it was simply that my parents found pleasure in punishing me. Well, now that I have a child old enough (18 in 8 days to be exact), I can totally relate to the true meaning of tough love.
