Anyway.

You never meant any wrong,

but you hurt me anyway.

You thought you were helping,

but criticism was all I heard.

I could never believe the good

that people said about me.

I always heard you in my head,

saying I wasn't good enough.

You wanted the best for me,

showing me what to improve.

I thought you wouldn't love me,

if I didn't get it perfect.

I never knew

you loved me anyway.

I wanted to make you proud,

so I did what I thought you wanted.

I learned to ignore my wants,

to give in to your plans for me.

Later it's so much harder

to learn to choose.

You never meant

to wash away

my confidence.

But you did it

Anyway.