Dear Dad and Mom,
This letter is long overdue. I realize that I never thank you enough for all that you guys do. I say thank you for the food, clothing, and shelter you’ve given me but I don’t always say thank you for the other things. First of all, thank you for loving me. I know that loving your children is second nature for you, but I never tell you how much I appreciate it. Your love gives me courage and peace of mind. It fills my dreary days with light and happiness. Thank you for that. I don’t just want to thank you for your love, I want to thank you for your tough love. I know I can be stubborn; I don’t deny it. You can be stubborn right back but yet your stubbornness is always laced with love. Thank you for saying ‘no’ and being a firm guiding hand.
I live for the nights when our whole family is gathered in the living room and we sit on the couches and chairs and some of us have to sit on the floor because there isn’t enough room for us all. Those are the nights when you guys share pieces of your childhood with us and we get to see a glimpse of what you were like when you were younger. You tell us the funny stories and the weird stories and the story of how you guys met and we eat up every word. Thank you for those nights.
I remember the year that we started homeschooling. You decided to school all five of us (at the time) children at home because you wanted to protect us from secularism. Mom, you took on the responsibility of making sure we got a good and honest education. And Dad, you always ask how we’re doing with our school and you’re always more than ready to give us some extra help with math. I’ve never told either of you this but I don’t think I would have done well in school if you hadn’t decided to school us at home. Both of you are always there pushing me to better than what I thought was my best. You encourage me to go above and beyond what I think I can do. Thank you for pushing me from the nest and helping me learn to fly.
Thank you for your shared wisdom. I cannot count how many times I have come to you guys with my problems, whether they are big problems or problems with an easy fix. You don’t give me a long suffering sigh and tell me to go bother the other parent; no. You step away from whatever is you’re doing to listen to me and be present in the moment. Thank you for the knowledge you have so generously shared.
Thank you for being examples of selfless love. You give and give and give to every one of your eight children and never once do you complain. Sometimes I wonder to myself, ‘There can’t possibly be enough to go around.’ But then you go and prove me wrong by giving even more than I thought was possible.
There are so many other things I want to thank you for. I want to thank you for giving me boundaries, for showing me God’s love, for your concern for my mental health and wellbeing, and for so much more. But some things simply cannot be put into words. Some things I just have to show you.
Love, Forever & Always,
Your second oldest
