Dear Mom and Dad,

I miss you guys all of the time, but I know that you know that. I also know that you miss me too. I was thinking about my life lately and I wanted to thank you guys for some of the things that you have given me.

You have given me the knowledge to differentiate right and wrong, to know that there is a fine line between courageousness and stupidity and that the line can easily be crossed. Thank you for instilling this reasoning ability within me. I live my life day to day thinking about it.

Thank you for teaching me that it is okay to cry sometimes and that it doesn't mean that you're weak, it just means that you're human. Thank you for teaching me this and thank you for being the best examples. Crying is okay, I promise.

Thank you for raising me, even though that meant that I would be leaving. Being in college has opened up many doors and opportunities for me and I wanted to let you know that you guys are my voice of reason when it comes to a lot of things. I know that I am making you proud and that I can come home knowing that you guys will always be there.

Thank you for letting me try every sport that I wanted to before finally choosing theater. Thank you for standing behind my decisions, not many people do that for others. Thank you for being there when I needed you: when I didn't get the part, when I flubbed a song, or even when I just wanted to rant about rehearsal.

Thank you for teaching me that there is no such thing as perfection. This is probably the one that I am most thankful for. Failure is inevitable when it comes to a lot of things, especially school. I know that I have the ability to make an A+ 100% grade in every class I take and I also know that I probably won't. Thank you for teaching me that failure is okay as long as I work harder next time. Thank you for teaching me how to work harder.

Thank you for holding my hand as I crossed the street. This, as you probably guessed, is a metaphor. Thank you for standing beside me when I was little, thank you for helping little Colton with his little problems (like the death of his hamster or the math homework that he sometimes didn't want to do).

Thank you for standing behind me now. I like to talk to you guys before every decision that I make. If I don't talk to you, I think about what you would say. Thank you for helping bigger Colton with his bigger problems.

Thank you for providing me with the best things that a parent could. I love you more and more every day because of the wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and tips that you have given me to carry through life. Thank you for teaching me to stand with my face towards the sun because then my shadows would always fall behind me. Thank you for teaching me how to be a great person and how to choose the right people to associate with.

Thank you for being the best parents who I could ever ask for.

Thank you for raising me as your son.

Dad: Thank you for being the best father that a boy could ever ask for and for always getting my day started with "learn lots, have fun, and play hard." I will always carry those words with me forever.

Mom: Thank you for being the best mother that a boy could ever ask for and for always having the answers to every question that I have ever asked you.

Thank you, just thank you.

Sincerely,
A very grateful boy