Love gives all and requires nothing

Since I've been contemplating this wisdom I've noticed things about the way I am that are not totally loving. For example, I mailed a happy birthday card to my daughter but told her that if it shows up early she better wait to open it til her actual birthday. I've always gotten used to telling my kids that they will have to wait to open their gifts til the actual day, be it Christmas or their birthday's, no matter how much they beg and plead. But now I realize that our relationships are different since they're grown. She wasn't overly excited about getting it anyway yet I felt it necessary to announce these conditions. Obviously, they learned patience by me making them wait for their gifts as I was hoping for back then. So why wasn't I changing and growing with the kids? Of course I immediately apologized to her, letting her know that I see if it's something I buy just to make her happy and I want her to have it, then why keep it from her at all? If she doesn't care if she gets it on the right day, why should I? And it really boils down to, who is expecting a gift here? Me. I needed her to be or act a certain way so I can be happy. She didn't mind if she got anything at all but it was all about a gift for her birthday celebration. How ironic, eh? She's the best daughter in the entire world and she deserves the best love. I'll just have to keep working on it for everyone's sake!