Let me count the ways.....

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love the way you don't replace the toilet paper; the empty roll reminds me how empty and quiet the house will be when you are gone.

I love the way you stay on the phone til all hours of the night, the giggles and shrieks that unexpectedly wake me from deepest sleep tell me that you have arrived home safely.

I love the way you ask for money; the emptiness of my wallet contrasts with the fullness of my heart when you offer loans to your sibling.

I love the way you open our pantry to your friends, for I know in time the constant flow of hungry teenagers through our kitchen will diminish and the chips will grow stale.

I love the way you leave hand prints on the door frame; they leave no hint of small fingers that could barely reach the doorknob but a few years ago.

I love the way you retreat into the depths of your room to be seen again but for brief interludes; it is certainly preparation for the coming years when you begin your own life and I will see less of you.

I love the way you study and produce homework independently; it removes from the recesses of my mind those years of struggle and anger and development when you resisted such scholarly endeavors.

I love the way you are becoming your own person; it tells me that my work is almost done.

How do I love thee? It is easy.