Love doesn't mean keeping your kids as child dependents. Look at the original post: she grew during the hardship when she was out in the world. Then went home and crashed. She has the ability in her to grow during hardship.

Sixteen is the age of becoming legally emancipated. If a teenager is cooperative and gets kicked out due to parental neglect, that's abandonment. When a teenager lives without wanting parental consent and causes constant conflict, acts out, disrupts the infrastructure, particularly with younger siblings having to endure the chaos, and the parent cannot regain order...well that is the reason why kids get 'kicked out.' The world can be a very good teacher of what we are too hard-headed to hear when everything is done for us. The original poster doesn't give reasons behind her being kicked out.

Having someone 'count on you' means they can maintain their own dignity in finding their way while you listen and encourage and guide them back to the sacrifices necessary to get along in this world and growing up, which is the requirement for EVERYONE...because truth be known, a parent will die before the child and as harsh as that sounds, that's the way it works. Why? Because we parents have done a good enough job to not be counted on for infrastructure support because we have taught them the skills and trust them with the care and feeding of themselves. That's love.