“Parenting… strip it down and what do you really have? A relationship with a unique little person God entrusted to you to nurture, love, and raise.” –Matthew L. Jacobson

As a child your guardians are your all. They tell you no, discipline you, and make you feel as if life itself will surely end if you don’t get another popsicle, but through it all make you laugh and feel loved. I was always aware that my guardians loved me, and that compared to other children in the world I was very fortunate. I never went to bed hungry, never went without shelter or a bed, and although they were never afraid to smack my leg a few times if I acted up I never experienced extreme physical violence. Despite everything however, I can certainly say that I never truly understood the extent as to which my guardians loved me until I was much older.

I didn’t realize all of the things that they had sacrificed for me, the times when they put me first above their own personal needs, or when they chose to give me a birthday gift that made me extremely happy when they could have used the money for something else we really needed. I didn’t realize that there were times when money was tight and they struggled to provide, were scared, but told me everything would be okay then tucked me into bed, read me a story, and kissed me goodnight. I never truly understood the frustrating job searches, the long amounts of time spent away from home working, the tireless and exhausting jobs they took, and all of the nights spent wishing to be back home watching me grow and develop a personality of my own. I always thought that they were worried about the grade on my spelling test or if I had brushed my teeth or not, and had no idea of the many sleepless nights spent worrying if our little family would be okay. I never realized the time, hard work, and dedication that was put into them making sure I would turn out all right in the end. They always tried their best to give me the best childhood I could ever have regardless of any fear, setback, or roadblock they faced in their journey to raise me correctly.

For these reasons and endless others, I would like to say thank you to all of the guardians out there who did their best to raise their children, but a simple thank you will absolutely never be enough. We have seen and recognized your relentless hard work and the sacrifices you have made to help give us a chance in the world, and for that we are forever grateful. No one is perfect, but in my eyes you are the ones closest to it. So to all of the guardians out there struggling: We love you and are forever grateful that you were the ones placed in our lives to shape us into human beings.

There is nobody else in this world that I would want to help me figure life out than the two of you. Thank you for always being my best friends and personal cheerleaders.