Hey, mom and dad, maybe this list is just shy of a million but regardless, I don’t say thank you enough. While your hard work and dedication don't go unrecognized, I don’t tell you nearly enough how much I appreciate all the sacrifices you have made for me. So without further ado, thank you.

Thank you for supporting me unconditionally.

Thank you for supporting me through the side ponytail phase, the way too much eyeliner phase, and that brief period of time I would only wear the same shirt with every single outfit. Your unconditional support is not noted nearly enough.

Thank you for home-cooked meals.

When we were younger, a sit-down family dinner always seemed like such a nuisance. Believe it or not, people were actually allowed to watch TV when they ate dinner. But looking back, I cannot be more thankful to have that hour dedicated to eating delicious food and talking about everyone’s day.

Thank you for instilling in me the values and motivation that I have grown up with.

The greatest gift I have been given in life is the values instilled in me from a young age. Being taught more than just right from wrong. The way I value family, the way I carry myself with respect, being taught to always be honest especially with myself, and being shown that humility is not thinking less about yourself, but it is talking less about yourself. I thank you for giving me that gift.

Thank you for teaching me what hard work is.

Thank you for not only teaching me what hard work is but also showing me. Every time you come home after a long day (maybe that was the day you fell in a swamp or the day you had to administer a test to a child who doesn’t even speak the language), I might not have told you how much I appreciated it, but I do. I not only appreciate the good laugh it gave me seeing you soaking wet up to your waist because of that swamp, but I appreciate the hard work and dedication you wake up with every day just to make an enjoyable life for me.

Thank you for showing me that there will always be somebody better/

While this might sound a bit morbid, thank you for showing me that there will truly always be somebody better. It pushes me to be the very best I can be. Thank you for explaining to me that while I might have a grip on something I am doing, I should be proud of this but I also need recognize the fact that there will be some worse than me and some better than me.

Thank you for providing my siblings and me with happy childhood memories.

All the weekend trips to Vermont, the times spent at the fair, and the awesome summer vacations in Pittsburgh, thank you for showing me what a good time is. Whether they are small memories of throwing a baseball around in the backyard and going through the car wash with the sunroof open or big memories of going to see Katy Perry front row, and the time we went to a Brad Paisley concert at the Big E, my childhood was the best it could possibly be and I am eternally grateful to you.

Thank you for being my first phone call when both good and bad things happen.

I wake up every day so comforted in knowing that no matter what happens throughout the day, I have parents I can call to either celebrate with or get advice from. Whether it be getting a 100% on a final (which really happened) or accidentally sleeping through a huge exam (which, unfortunately, also really happened) thank you for making me comfortable enough to call you with pure joy over my 100% and sheer terror and tears over-sleeping through the exam.

Thank you for all the stories that you tell.

My favorite part of the day (and I really mean this) is sitting down and listening to all the stories you have to tell, or driving to the gas station late at night to grab a peach tea and listen to the tales you have to tell about the college baseball team. It is so cool to share with you the memories you have of being in high school, college, and all the crazy things you’ve done in between.

Thank you for being my parents and loving me unconditionally.

Thank you for being the best parents I could ever ask for, for loving me unconditionally, always showing me right from wrong, and ALWAYS putting me first. While I might not tell you every day, and I should probably start getting into the habit of it, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the things you have done and continue to do for me.

Thank you, mom and dad. I love you.