During this point in my life, I've realized I don't know everything. I have recognized that what you have taught me has factored into who I am today and who I will continue to be as I grow up (which I hate to admit hasn't fully happened yet). And because of this, I have realized that I have never taken a moment to thank you: something that I think needs to be done.

Dear Mom,

Thank you for making me realize that I deserve better than what I've always given myself, that I am worth more than I think and have the ability to stand up for myself when I need to.

Thank you for giving me someone to talk to, even about the most embarrassing things. 

Thank you for giving me the strong sense of relief, ensuring you know exactly what to do.

Thanks for crying at my third grade Christmas recital when I sang a solo. I knew from that point on that I made you proud in the simplest things I did. 

Thank you for taking the time to meet every single one of my friends, making sure that I was always surrounding myself with the right people during each point in my life. 

Thank you for being realistic about every rule you have ever given me, allowing me to make mistakes while growing up and giving me the room to do so. 

Thanks for every argument that we have ever had. Thanks for teaching me how to be strong and making sure I knew exactly what to consider right and wrong when it came down to making my own decisions.

Thank you for the almost daily phone calls. Whether it's asking medical advice (which is most of the time), venting my stress of class and tests, needing motivation or simply wanting to check in just to hear you call me by my dumb nickname that you only use. It's at those certain points, I hear the pride in your voice when I do something great and certainty in expecting nothing less than the best. 

Dear Dad, 

Thank you for helping me realize what I am capable of, making sure I will fall nothing short of my dreams and that I have the talent to achieve them.

Thank you for showing me the true meaning of hard work, for showing me that some days, sitting down on the couch should be earned by a long day's work and always be accessorized with a glass of wine. 

Thank you for making sports such a crucial part of your life, from playing to watching. Thanks for attending every single one of my games, so that I saw your face when I scored two baskets in my entire high school basketball career or single goal in Recreational soccer. You truly taught me what a true sports fan is.

Thank you for always seeing my side of the story, whether I am wrong or right. You are stricter with rules but always know the right time to let me break them.

Thanks for making me realize that nothing was a job well done until you thought it was, that what makes me happy should only be what I deserve, and that I always did things to my full potential. 

Thank you for letting me be a kid. For letting me do crazy things like audition for TV shows, see famous people's houses on family vacations and for taking me on adventures that I didn't realize were great at the time. 

Thanks for bringing me to where I am today, and letting me know I am making you proud. Thanks for the little things that feel like the big things and still surprising me even though I am hundreds of miles away. 

There's no way that I would be the person I am and the person I will become without you both. And for that, I thank you. I know that this isn't enough to show full gratitude, but I think I'm getting a good start. You guys rock.

Love, 

Your Daughter