Unconditional Love and Unacceptable Behavior

I was going to write on this today and when I went to the blog, saw that I had written on unconditional love in February...it must be a recurring theme in my work. Here is what Bryan Post had to say this morning: "Acceptance between parents and children is the unspoken agreement that within their relationship all is okay for now and forever. Acceptance does not imply that what you have done is okay but rather who you are. I accept you. There are things you may do or ways in which you behave that I disagree but underneath it all I accept you. You are my child. We will make it through. Once you accept, then you can truly love. Remember that unconditional love is love such that there is nothing that a child can do to earn it, nor is there anything a child can do to loose it."

How very powerful is this definition of unconditional love...there is nothing, nothing you, my child can do that will change my love for you. No matter how many mistakes you make, no matter how others look upon your behavior (whether that be your teachers, your grandparents, the neighbors and yes...even the authorities) I will love you and together we will get through whatever it is that is facing us. We say to our children what you are doing is not acceptable and I will help you to find another way of expressing yourself, another way of interacting, another way of communicating. Yes, I will teach you more acceptable ways...and I will do that in a loving, caring, accepting way.