Thank you, Mom and Dad, for everything that you have done for me growing up, and everything you still do for me in college. I don’t live with you anymore, and I will probably never get to live with you again. I won’t come home and stay for the summer, but I do like to come home and visit as much as I can.
I know it’s hard for you guys, and trust me -- it’s hard for me, too. I was used to being pretty independent, growing up, but this past year has been a completely different kind of independence. I’ve learned how to cook my own food, budget my own income, and pay my own bills. I’ve learned how to cry it all out without crying on your lap, and I’ve learned to get out of bed without you pulling me out of it.
This last year has been hard without you, but you still support me in every way. I call you way too much, but you answer every time. I call you for stupid things – like when I’m in the grocery store and I can’t find something. I call you when I don’t remember what temperature to cook that recipe at, or if I’m sick and need to know if I can take Tylenol and Mucinex at the same time. I call you crying when I’m sick and in pain and I just want to hear your voices comfort me. I got lucky with you guys, because even though I call too much, you always answer.
I ask for money from you, and that has been the hardest thing to do this year. I’m an adult now, who has an adult(ish) job and pays her own bills. But I’m also a student, which means that my income doesn’t quite cover everything. It's hard to want to feel financially independent but to still need money every now and then. I’ve called you when I have $10 in my checking account, but I really need to buy Tylenol because I’ve had a fever for three days. I’ve called you in need when I’ve been eating ramen for a few days and can’t take it anymore. You always support me when I need it, but you also allow me to struggle a bit on my own – and that has taught me more lessons than I can even describe. I’m pretty financially independent in terms of day to day living, rent, and food costs, but you still help me out more than I can ever express thanks for.
You have supported me more than you can ever understand, and in ways that you don’t even know. You’ve taught me lessons through letting me struggle on my own, and I appreciate it. I’m as independent as I can be, but you are always there for me, whether I need you or not. Thank you for loving me, and I love you more than you know.
