Dear Single Parent Who Raised Me,
It is not often enough that I thank you for everything you have done for me. When I look back at my childhood and my teens, I see you there. You were the only consistent part of my life. No matter where I turned, you were there to help me. You were there to comfort me when I needed it, cheer me on when I needed your support, and guide me in the right direction. I see all this now, even if I did not see it then. I see how you gave up everything for me, putting my needs before yours.
When I look back at my childhood, I now realize everything you have sacrificed. You never put yourself before our family or me. Your needs came second and my needs always came first. You did everything you could to provide for me and fill both parental roles. I am sure this was not easy to do, but you did your best. I constantly saw the struggles you found from being a single parent, but that did not stop you from doing the best that you could.
I’m sorry for everything that I put you through growing up. Growing up with one parent isn’t easy for anyone involved. I often found myself jealous of my friends who had two parents in the same house. I would think about how life would be different if I had both a mother and a father raising me together. When I think about it now, I consider myself lucky. Even though I did not have this, I had one parent who showed me unconditional love that I never saw before. I saw how good can come from bad, and how families can survive anything. For this, I thank you.
There were plenty of times when I took my anger out on you because you were the only one there for me. You had to play both the good cop and bad cop. Our relationship may have suffered because of this, but it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong, and quite frankly, there was nothing that you could have done better.
I know when you were little, you never imagined being a single parent. You never imagined not having a partner to help you through life and raising a child or a family. You never imagined not being able to give your children everything and anything that they wanted or needed. Thank you for not giving up. It would have been so easy to break down and not care. Instead, you gave it your all, which you may not feel like enough. I want you to know it was. Everything that you did was enough, and I can never thank you enough. I hope one day to be at least half of the parent that you didn’t have to be, but chose to be. One day, I hope to give back to you everything you gave to me.
Love Always,
A Grateful Child.
