Dear Mom and Dad,
Let me start off by saying that I owe you the world. You have given me the best years of your lives and I have so greedily taken the lessons and knowledge that you both gave to me. Of course, I am sad that things didn't work out between you but it looks like it just wasn't in the universe's plan. And of course I was upset like any child of divorce, but I have long since made my peace. You have both done everything you possibly could to give me a better life and I am so gracious for that. You both continue to help me in any way possible and I know that I can count on each of you to come through for me in ways that I would never expect. You have taught me lessons through your separation that I could never thank you enough for.
You taught me that even though things seem impossible I can always make my way through it. Through watching both of you and the different ways you dealt with what life threw at you I learned that things can get pretty bad, but luckily for me, you gave me a sharp mind and a thick skull to make my way to the finish line. The trials that I have faced already have shown me that even though you are not at the spot in life that you would like to be there is always room for adjustment and that is something I could only have learned through both of you.
You have shown me that it's okay to make mistakes because I can always fix them. Although the results sometimes are not exactly what you had expected it would be better than losing altogether. You taught me how to make a civil negotiation, but also how to hold my ground and not settle for less than I deserve. These are skills that have and continue to get me where it is that I need to go. These skills have also taught me how to deal with people on a day to day basis even though they aren't necessarily people that I agree with. Through this, you have both ultimately taught me to be loving and accepting, but only to the extent that I see fit.
The most important thing that you have taught me, though, is that it is okay to give your heart away. You taught me how to love in a world with a fifty percent divorce rate and that is something that sounds impossible. Through watching the way that each of you handled the situations given to you I saw two amazing people who happened to love differently. You each taught me how to deal with heartbreak, but more importantly, you taught me how to love again after heartbreak. You showed me the benefits of opening your hearts to new people and you have doubled my family and showered me with love. You have taught me to love differently and that is a skill that sets me apart in our reality.
I can only hope to repay you for the amazing life you have given me by making it something of wonders. And yes, I do promise that when the time comes I will only put you in the very best nursing home. (I'm kidding.) (Kind of.) After all, you both deserve the very best. I am so inexplicably happy that both of you are happy with where life has taken you and who it has given you.
