I remember as a kid I would watch as my parents held hands as they sat in the car or would jokingly swing each other around when music was playing in the house. I remember screaming and covering my eyes as they kissed in the middle of the kitchen and smiling as my dad showed me the little love notes my mom had sent him in high school. On rare occasions they would bicker over stupid things, but no matter what, they always found a way past it.

My parents showed me that the word "love" is much more than just a word. It is good-night kisses, it’s that look of getting lost in someone’s eyes, and it is the ability to get past the arguments. They never sat me down and explained to me the importance of love or how to find it, but they didn’t need to. I learned everything I ever could have needed to know just by watching them. So this is a thank you letter, to my mom and dad, and any other parents out there that showed their children what true love is.

Thank you for teaching me that my love isn’t something that should just be given out to anyone. Seeing you both every day reminds me that I want what you guys have, and that I should never settle for anything less. True love isn’t always easy to find, but it is well worth the wait.

Thank you for teaching me that love is more than just the good times. Love is accepting each other for the good and the bad. It’s learning how to deal with dad’s need to control every situation and mom’s endless meals of chicken for dinner. It’s working together to get past the fights and never giving up because you made a vow that you never would. True love fights to stay alive.

Thank you dad, for setting the standards high and showing me that a man should show his wife nothing but love and respect. And thank you for being an amazing example to my brother. Thank you mom for teaching me that a wife is not someone who just sits at home and cooks but instead makes her own mark on the world.

I realize that I am so incredibly blessed to have the parents that I do. I think that people have the abilities to make decisions on their own when it comes to love, but I owe it all to my parents. Each and every day they continue to amaze me with the love they have for each other, and I cannot wait to have that with someone one day. Just by simply loving each other, they taught me the most important lesson of life: love is the greatest thing in the world and it should never be taken for granted.