We both paid the price

WE BOTH PAID THE PRICE

I gave you my youth, I gave you my years,

Raised up our babies while hiding my tears.

Everybody needed me, I carried the load,

But somewhere loving you, I lost my own soul.

They call me selfish now that I choose peace,

But nobody asked what staying did to me.

I didn’t leave because I stopped loving you,

I left because I was disappearing too.

They say a woman sacrifices family

Just to find her happiness,

And a man sacrifices happiness

Just to give his family his best.

But maybe we both paid the price,

Maybe we both lost ourselves.

You thought you gave your life for me,

I thought I gave mine to everyone else.

We both loved, we both hurt,

We just couldn’t make it work.

I woke before sunrise, came home after dark,

Worked for this family with the weight on my heart.

I wore the same shoes so the kids could have more,

You called me absent—I was working for yours.

I thought paying the mortgage said, “I love you.”

You needed my time; I never understood.

While you felt lonely lying next to me,

I was breaking too—I just wouldn’t let you see.

Her: I lost myself becoming your wife.

Him: I lost myself providing this life.

Her: I needed your love, not everything you could buy.

Him: I thought providing was love… now I realize.

Maybe we both paid the price,

Maybe nobody was completely wrong.

We spent so much time saving our family,

We forgot our love needed saving all along.

A woman deserves happiness.

A man deserves happiness too.

Love shouldn’t mean losing yourself

Just to prove that your love is true.

We both loved.

We both tried.

We both sacrificed.

We both paid the price.