In life, having people to stabilize you is crucial. Although we are individuals and therefore at some point in our lives we are responsible for our own well being, it is always nice to have a team of people right by your side. People to cheer you on in your best moments, people to grieve with you when needed at the saddest of times and people to stay strong for you when fighting tough times.

Thankfully, I am blessed to have my mother and father as those figures in my life. Although words on a single piece of paper, or a written article, couldn't cover everything I am grateful for, I think it is quite necessary to write this letter. Through my hardships and through my rays of shine, thank you mom and dad for being the people that you are.

I'd like to start off this letter to my parents by showing my appreciation to my father. Thank you dad, for being one of the only individuals in my life who understands the struggles I face. You not only embrace them as your own, but we sit down together and try to come up with plans upon multiple strategies to fix things up a bit.

Thank you dad for the endless hours of buying yourself a lacrosse stick in my younger years, or even a softball bat to help me improve on my sports teams. Not only were you the parent there taking time off from your stressful day as a lawyer to come sit on the sidelines and watch me play, but you would practice alongside with me to show me that you really did take interest in my extra curricular activities.

As well dad, thank you for always lending me a helping hand in school, when you saw at first hand that my learning issues sometimes would get the best of me. If it meant spending numerous hours trying to explain the same concept repeatedly until I get it, you did. If I still didn't understand after your explanation, you would research other explanations on the web to get the point across to me. You never gave up, ever.

Your endless amount of love and compassion are two things that still get me through the hardest of days.

And mom, where do I even begin with you? You're not only my mother, but rather, you are the one person who I can call my closest friend on this planet. You know the most about me. No, in fact you know every single little aspect about me and you embrace all of it.

The amazing gift of life is special. Mom, you remind me each and every single day in the most loving way that if you were to do it all over again, you wouldn't have changed a thing and you would have had me just the way I am, flaws and all! You take it all of my life upon as yours. You make sure to cater to each and every single one of my needs, and words simply cannot describe how thankful I am for that.

Thank you of course for being my movie buddy, my shopping buddy, singing in the car and dancing in the house to our favorite songs. You always know how to put the biggest smile on my face.

Thank you mom for being the one person who I talk to where nothing has to be filtered. Honestly, you're a therapist and a mother. What more could a 20 year old college student ask for I mean really?

But beyond just the small things like those listed above, mom, you really have just pulled through for me. You are my rock and you are my savior. You and I have an extremely special bond that is so very hard for anyone else to honestly compare to. You are empathetic and sympathetic. You are compassionate and loving. You are, my mom.

Mom and dad, I know this letter isn't thousands of words, but if I kept on writing it would be endless. I just wanted you to receive at least a small glimpse of my appreciation for the two of you in this crazy hectic thing we call life.

With all my heart I love you.

-Ally.