The Bridge

Teens use their mothers to have someone, something, constant to rail against. They do it because they know in their heart of hearts that you are a concrete wall of unconditional love.
 In their darkest times, their meanest times, their worst moods, love them anyway.
They are testing the sturdiness of the bridge they are about to use to go out into adulthood. They want to check it for cracks and flaws before all their weight, their heart, their trust, their world beliefs, their hopes and fears are dragged across it.
In these moments, love them anyway. Prove to them that the bridge is sound and trustworthy.
I have chanted "Love them anyway, love them anyway" while pacing, while refraining from choking them, while wanting to run away from home, while wanting to dish out exactly the treatment I've just received... instead I choose to "love them anyway".
It's hard, when they treat you like a thing, instead of a person with feelings. But we were always a thing, to them. An incubator, a milk delivery service, food maker, laundry washer, car driver, toy fixer, and so on. Their red, screaming faces didn't show love or even concern. They didn't care if you had the flu, or mastitis, or a broken foot, or a deadline at work.
   "Feed me, rock me, hold me, carry me, drive me, comfort me, save me, help me, nurse me back to health so that I may get on with the business of ignoring you."
We spend 20 years trying to convince them we are, too, human with feelings and needs and dreams of our own. They don't buy it.
Later on, if you are lucky, they look back across the life miles they've traveled and finally see you as you are. Human, and yes, flawed, but perfect for them. They see all the hell they put you through and they say "Oh, god, I was horrible! Horrible! But she loved me anyway."

So we brace ourselves, over and over, and show them we are strong enough to birth them into the world as babies, and birth them out into the world again as adults.

Is that all you've got? Well, that ain't hardly nothin'. Of course I'm going to love you anyway!
Put it on me. Yup. I'm strong enough. I've got you.