It’s about that time of the year when we are thinking of new year’s resolution and deciding whether or not they are actually worth keeping as the days fly by. Yes, we all want to lose a little weight, workout more, eat healthier, or maybe get some more sleep. Maybe our goal is to focus more on school and less about boys and our phones. All of these ambitions are healthy, but sometimes I think we need to look deeper, at the things that go unnoticed. Things such as our parents. Day in and day out our parents are there for us, provide for us, and support us. The amount of money they invest in us, the time they spend with us and the thought they put into us, is close to invisible at times. So I think that we should all add one little resolution to our list—thanking our parents more. I promise it’s one that you can keep easily and one you won’t regret.

This winter break I spent seven days traveling and enjoying the sunshine state with my mother, father, and sister. We drove three hours to the Cleveland, Ohio airport, and then flew two hours to the Orlando airport. We traveled hours to and from Clearwater, St. Pete’s, and Orlando, Florida, and even spent a day at Disney World. This trip was beyond enjoyable. The weather was spectacular and warm, which was especially nice due to the fact that it was sub-zero temperatures back home in Michigan. I expected to sit next to the pool, spend some time at the beach, get a tan going, and put my sunglasses to good use. However, I didn’t expect to learn a lesson or two. Nonetheless, I did just that. I learned that my parents do more for me than I even realize.

To begin with, my parents do the research, the planning, and the booking for every vacation we go on. They’re the ones that do the driving during the hard hours to and from the airport while I sleep in the backseat. They are they ones who stop the car every time someone has to go to the bathroom, or whines about being hungry. They pay for every flight, drink, dinner, hotel, car, excursion, and event. They set the alarms and wake us up when it’s time to go. They double check we have everything we need packed in our suitcases and carry-ons. They are our voice of reason when we need it the most—like when we should put sunscreen on even when we think we don’t need to. They are the ones who walk around with us and go on every. Single. Ride. that we want to, simply because we want to. They keep us company, they make us laugh, they make every day exciting and enjoyable.

As I sat in my airplane seat (next to the window thanks to my mom), on the curb of Magical Kingdom waiting for the Disney parade to begin, the Ferry, the beach, every restaurant, and the pool, I watched every cute little kid. I noticed the way they played with their siblings, how they acted in restaurants and other foreign places, how they behaved themselves when no one was looking, and above all, how they treated their elders and parents. I saw a lot of good kids who were nice to their brothers and sisters, behaved themselves no matter where they went, and treated their parents with respect. I also saw a lot of the exact opposite. Kids who screamed and threw a fit every time they did not get what they wanted, who acted however they wanted no matter the setting and situation, and who, you could tell had no amount of respect or gratitude towards their parents. I give them a little break, they are kids after all, but good or bad, their parents put up with them through everything. They continued to help them, look after them, and care for them no matter how terrible they acted on their trips. A parent’s love is unconditional.

I think as kids we don’t have the concept of thankfulness down quite yet. We don’t realize the amount of work our parents do for us. But as we grow up, we have no excuse. We have no excuse to throw fits, to scream and cry whenever we are unhappy with what we are given, and most of all, to be ungrateful. By the time we are in college, thanking our parents is something we should try to do as much as possible. Some of our parents provide for us financially, they always answer our desperate phone calls at odd hours of the day to help us with our anxiety or to answer random questions about where things are in the grocery store or what medicine to take when we are sick. They welcome us (and deal with us) during our breaks, make us delicious food (for free!), and do our dirty laundry. They make sure there’s toilet paper in the bathroom, and heat in the house. Besides it all, they make sure we know we are loved.

Our parents have raised us to be the person we are today. They have taught us important life lessons. They have stood by our side through our temper tantrums and our awkward phases in life. THEY HAVE GIVEN US LIFE—NEED I SAY MORE?!?! Our parents are fricken rockstars and they deserve a little “thank you” from time to time. So keep on working out, eating healthy, and using less social media, but please, PLEASE, remember to start thanking your parents for every single they do for you. I promise you won’t regret it, and they’ll love you even more than they already do.