To my family,

Since the moment I was born, you have done nothing but love me and help me to reach the potential I didn't even believe I had. To give everyone some background, my grandparents both came from an impoverished life in Greece, enduring two wars and countless atrocities, coming to this country to try and make something of themselves.

They worked from minimum wage jobs to being business owners, they had 3 wonderful children, and from them, they got 3 grandchildren (myself being one of them). My grandmother is the only person who I can honestly describe as a saint. She used to wait for me to wake up and give me a piggy back ride down the stairs and watch cartoons with me while I ate breakfast.

She would pick me up from school, cook us meals, and she never complained. Even when her back hurt, when she didn't feel well, or when she was just tired, she would listen to me talk about the most random topics for literally hours on end.

My parents are two of the hardest working people that I know. All my life, they worked jobs they hated, went to sleep and woke up early, and still managed to make it to every baseball game. My mom always took care of us, gave us what she could, and always worked harder so she could get us more.

I've watched my father work 3 different jobs at one time because he cared about putting food in his kid's mouths more than he cared about how much sleep he got. He stood in hot nasty weather and witnessed the chaos of Lollapalooza just so his son could watch his favorite rapper perform. They never asked for a thank you, never asked for any sympathy, because for them, seeing us smile was worth it all. Well, mom and dad, this is me finally saying thank you.

For my sister, who became a second mother figure when my parents were working. My sister Anastasia never put herself first, she always cared for others over herself. She helped me with homework, cooked dinner when my parents were out working for us and was never afraid to fight for me when kids at school would bully me. Even with a full AP schedule, working after school, and still trying to balance a social life, she always made sure I was set up. Staying up late with me when I couldn't understand my homework, and always making sure I was up in time to catch the bus the next morning. Even when she was 200+ miles away at ISU, she always called me to make sure I was doing what I was supposed to be doing and is still my shoulder to cry on when a girl breaks my heart.

I'm listing all of these things about my family because... I don't deserve them.

Despite all the amazing things they did for me, I always found a reason to lie to them, an excuse for why I didn't put all my effort into something. The guilt of all my past mistakes is like a constant anchor that is dragging me through the ocean to the sharks below. And yet they are always there with a hand in to pull me out.

Through the broken promises, missed phone calls, and every disrespectful comment, they never gave up on me. They believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. They are the reason I went to college, they are the motivation that got me to work enough to earn scholarships to stay there. Through anything and everything, they never left.

I can never tell them this enough, but I love you all more than you will ever know.

-D