To the parents who give me everything…

First, I want to start by saying how much I love you both. You mean everything to me and I know I have the best parents in the world. There’s so much I want to thank you for that I never get a chance to say, so this letter is for you.

The first thing I need to thank you for is my birth. I know that may sounds strange, but I know how hard it was for you. Mom, you had to deal with so much pain for me. Emotional pain when you found out how hard it was going to be to have a baby, yet everyone around you was getting pregnant, and physical pain going through endometriosis and in vitro fertilization. Dad, I have no idea how hard it was for you to have to go through all of this while working as much as you did. All that pain and money just so you could have me makes me feel so special.

Next I need you to know how perfectly you did being parents while I was growing up. I remember being little and mom would scratch my back and sing me songs before I fell asleep. I remember dad making me laugh with his magic tricks and funny jokes. I had everything a child could ever ask for. I always had toys, I was always happy, I had friends over constantly and game nights were/are the best. We may not have had all the money in the world but we made do with what we had. We went to free concerts, fun trips around Pittsburgh and random pop-up events near home. Every Christmas was like a dream come true, every Easter was an adventure and every Halloween was a blast! Dad, you always dressed up with me for Halloween because we share a love of this season. Scaring people, decorating the yard, watching scary movies and carving pumpkins is something I hope to do with my children someday. I remember summers of vacations and family, swimming and birthday parties. I remember winters of snow fun, hot coco, and Christmas baking. I can’t thank you enough for my home life growing up. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

The teen years were rough, as I’m sure they are for everyone, sometimes I would come home from school already crying from some drama or bully from that day. You were always there to comfort me and give the best advice you could think of. You sent me to Italy for my senior gift and that is something I will never forget. High school was hard but I got through it and then I moved away to college. You know that I’m almost always busy while I’m here and that sometimes I don’t get the chance to call for a few days. You trust that I’m fine and that I’ll get through this on my own, but I still need you. I will always need you. Being away from home really hurts some days. When I’m sick all I want is to be home and for my mom to make me soup and lay me on the couch and my dad to make me some “secret recipe”, which I now know is cinnamon sugar toast, but it feels special to me when you make it. When I’m sad or really stressed I know I can call you and talk until I feel better. You have given me everything. You’ve given me all of your time and all of your love and I am so thankful for that.

I felt that I needed to write this letter to you for those days when we just don’t get along, or those days you miss me and I don’t have time to call. I need you both to know how much I love and appreciate everything you do and everything you have ever done for me.

I love you,

Love, your Punkapoo