To the parent that stayed,
I would like to say thank you.
Thank you for the sacrifices you have made during the past 20 years that have allowed me to be where I am today. Thank you for putting the needs of myself and my siblings before your own needs. I know now that it must not have been easy to do it by yourself, but I hope you know that you are not unappreciated.
Thank you for making sure I never missed out. You made it possible for me to attend every sporting event, and while you may have only been one person, you cheered as loud as two. While many of my friends had the incomes of two parents to support them, you gave us the same opportunities with your income alone. Somehow, you managed to do the work of two all by yourself.
I am sure there were times when you felt anger towards the parent who left. I'm sure, while you were making sacrifices for the sake of your kids, you thought about another person living a life free from responsibilities. In those times, I am sure you were aware of how unfair your situation seemed. It was not fair for the parent who left to bring children into this world, and then to not care for them. It was not fair that every responsibility fell to you. Even so, you did what the parent who left never did. You stayed.
It was you who drove me to school every day, who took me to the doctor after every broken bone and who bought my prom dresses. It was you who hugged me while I cried after you dropped me off at college. Therefore, you will be the one who will be at my wedding. It will be you who will get to play with your grandkids someday and it will be you who I will take care of when you're elderly. So, sure the parent who left may have evaded their responsibilities as a parent, but at what cost? I can't help but wonder if their decision was worth it.
You have taught me that being a parent requires much more than having a child. You have taught me that the words mom and dad do not have the same meaning as the words mother and father. You may have been my only role model, but luckily, you were the only one I needed.
So, thank you. Thank you for being the one who stayed.
Sincerely,
The child who loves you very much
