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by caccy46

She said she wanted to come home this weekend, thinking maybe it could get her back on track. I knew she thought it might help, but I knew her unexplored reasons as well - an escape from the social scene, her need for comfort in the arms of Mom and Dad, a few days of not facing or dealing with her pain. It took all my strength to say "no" - to fight my natural instinct to embrace her and try to make it all better. "No" also said: you can do this on your own. We have faith in your strength; you have to do this yourself for it to be real and lasting and your victory. "No" is something we've never said enough to her, never realizing the damage it caused by protecting her, loving her, doing for her - our beautiful baby girl whom we've never allowed to act 21 years old.

6S

caccy46, author of Stella, is 60 years old, a mother of two, and has been married for 32 years.