I know exactly what it feels

 I know exactly what it feels like to be the grandchild who isn’t the favorite.

To watch someone else get the extra hugs, the bigger gifts, the longer visits.
To wonder what was wrong with you that made them love you less.

And now, as a mom, I see my own kids sometimes getting treated the same way.
But here’s the difference I’m not the quiet kid anymore.
I’m the parent now.
And I will not stand by while someone makes my children feel like they have to earn a place in their own family.

If that means protecting them from certain people, even if those people are “family,” I’ll do it.
Because my kids will grow up knowing that love is unconditional.
And that anyone who makes them feel otherwise doesn’t deserve a place in their lives.