Pure love is a willingness to give without a thought of receiving anything in return.
--Peace Pilgrim

I have to remember this when I am dealing with my niece as sometimes she isn’t very loving to me. I realize it is the ebb and flow of things and she is a child so I cut her slack most of the time. Other times, however; I beat myself up for thinking maybe I am giving up myself way to much for not much in return. It is a teeter totter experience for me. Why would I want her to wake me up every Saturday and Sunday when in a matter of an hour, she will have turned her back on me. At night she refuses to give me even a hug and yet the next morning she is waking me up early so that she can go downstairs. Am I teaching her to be disrespectful and is she using me? I have such a hard time knowing. The next moment I believe maybe she is just expressing her independence with me. It is safe for her to do so because she knows I won’t turn my back on her. That is what I tell myself at least...or is she really just going to turn out to be yet another selfish child for the future to have to contend with?

I hope not.