From the day I was born, my parents were there to nurture me, hold me, and love me. They have done everything humanly possible to be the best people they can be and I know they would jump through fire to save my life if need be. These are the people in your life that love you unconditionally. Taking care of other human beings is stressful and terrifying; I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to be a parent, but there are just certain types of people out there that follow their hearts and become the best parents they can be. Looking back on my life, I realize how lucky I am to have been raised the way I was raised. Looking back on my life, I remember the difficult times economically, physically and mentally. Looking back on my life, I remind myself of the few people that stuck together during those times. Thank you, Mom and Dad.
Thank you for answering my phone calls at 3 am from my college dorm room, listening to me complain about schoolwork, boys or my so-called friends. Thank you for driving hours just to see me even if it was only for a few minutes. Thank you for being the only people in my life that are brutally honest about my life.
I’m at a point in my life where I’m thinking about the future. And by future I don’t mean a year from now, I mean ten years down the road. I picture how I want my life to be and think realistically about which of my friends will still be in the picture. There’s a very high chance that my life will turn out to be completely different from how I am currently picturing it, but the one thing that doesn’t change is having my parents around. I want to take care of them when they’re too old to walk up the stairs, I want to make them breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and I want to take care of them when they’re sick. The cycle of life is a weird thing. You’re taken care of when you’re born and then you need to be taken care of as you get old. I want to be able to give them the world, because they showed me mine.
People like my mom come far and few in between. She is by far the strongest person I know. She raised her three younger siblings. She resists all addictive temptations that run in her blood from previous generations. She grew up with barely any money and now financially supports our family and our expensive lifestyle. She is a cancer survivor. Needless to say, my mom is my role model. She has proven to me that it is possible to create a life that you could only dream about.
Special people like my mom could only marry other special people, right? My dad is one of a kind. He has taught me many lessons in my life, but most importantly he has taught me to choose a job I love. My dad is an artist for a living and has shown me how important it is to pick a career path you will enjoy every step of the way. It is challenging, but he’s making his way to the top. I want to be like my dad because he is constantly striving for the best and that’s exactly what I intent to be.
Today, I want you to tell the people who love you unconditionally that you are thankful for them. They may not be your flesh and blood, but that is irrelevant. Call your mom, your dad, your bother or your sister, your babysitter or your aunt or uncle. Remind them that you love them because you wouldn’t have gotten to where you are without their love, their support or their nagging.
