Tough Love

We all develop in different ways
With different ladders on different days
There's so much nuance in how we grow
In the debts of knowledge we chose to owe

And yet, with many an option and solution
Some always lean towards one resolution
No matter the problem, it rises above
They claim the only answer to be "tough love"

Now, I'm not saying tough love doesn't have it's place
But it should always come second to patience and grace
A last resort when other options fail
A way to bitterly end an overly long tale

And I'm not necessarily saying tough love doesn't succeed!
I haven't done to research on that point that I need
Instead I'm focusing on the price, the cost
The bad things you gained and the good things you lost

That's the thing about tough love. It's tough.
And some people (most people) have already had enough
So forgive me my softness, but in its stead
I think I'll settle for "kind love" instead