One thing we frequently forget to do as children is to thank our parents for everything they do for us. Sure we may thank them for the big things like a new cell phone or some money to be able to go out with our friends, but never for the small stuff...

Thank You For Teaching Me How To Drive

Dad, you spent countless hours cramped in grandma's Chevy Cavalier. Your head always hit the ceiling and your legs were definitely too long for the passenger seat. One day we spent two hours parallel parking over and over again. It paid off in the long run. Parallel parking was the first thing on my driver's test. I nailed it on my first try. The day you made me drive all the way to Jackman showed me a lot. It taught me the importance of focusing on the curvature of the road. It showed me how to driving a truck was different than driving a car. It showed me that I really hate driving long distance. With all the effort you put into showing me what to do, I got my license on the first try.

Thank You For Teaching Me How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies

Mom, this recipe is a hit with everyone I make these cookies for. This seems like such a little thing to be thankful for, but it's given me the opportunity to make people happy. Everyone at Goodwill loved these cookies and I can't imagine what they are doing now without them. My boyfriend loves these cookies, especially when they have chocolate chips in them. One day when I have kids these will be the cookies I teach them how to make because of how easy they are. These are cookies that'll be in this family forever.

Thank You For Working Hard Every Day

Dad, I know work is hard on you. I can see the grease stained into your hands. I can see the pieces of rope nestled into your hair. I grew up watching you fall asleep on the couch (no matter where we were) because you were always so tired from your job. You do so much to make sure both my brother and I have what we need in our lives. You help us with money, you take us out to eat, you let us drive your truck or help us get a new car.

Mom, you work hard every day too. I know you can't work anymore and that it must be really hard to not have the extra money sometimes, but you spend a lot of time cleaning the house every day. You picked up after me most of my life, and you still pick up after my brothers. When you were working, you worked as hard as you could. I remember you having to go all the way to Bangor to work sometimes, late into the night.

Thank You For Supporting Me

Dad & Mom, you have always supported me no matter what I was doing. When I made stupid mistakes, I saw the disappointment in your faces. It was seeing that disappointment that really kept me out of a trouble a lot of the time. I hated being the reason you looked sad. You have both supported me in achieving my dreams. You constantly remind me that even though I hate graduate school that it is what I need to do to be able to do what I want in the future. You both supported me in moving so far away from you. You have supported my relationship. You have supported me through absolutely everything in my life.

Thank You For Being My Dad

Dad, being a father can't be easy. You have a lot on your plate when it comes to having a daughter. You have to watch her make decisions. Sometimes you have to watch her get her heart broken. And other times you have to let her move 2 hours away to live with a guy you really don't know all that well. Being a dad means bringing me to and from college when I just needed to get away for the weekend. Being a dad meant bringing me to Warped Tour two years in a row. Being a dad meant going dress shopping for all the school dances and somehow always picking the dress that I liked the most. Being a dad meant sitting through dance recitals each and every year. Being a dad meant sacrificing your free time to take me places or going to my band concerts or bringing me to dance lessons. Being a dad meant a lot of things.

Thank You For Being My Mom

Mom, being a mother is far from easy. You are the one that has to deal with my attitude the most. You are the one that has to hear every little piece of gossip about my friends or other kids I went to school with. You're the one that has to sit with me when I'm crying about something stupid some asshole did to me. You're the one that had to watch me make bad decisions about guys and not say anything because you knew I wouldn't listen anyway. Being a mom meant you were in charge of putting on all my makeup for dance recitals. Being a mom meant you were the one who had to met parents of friends. Being a mom meant you had to go to school meetings for a variety of things like band meetings. Being a mom meant you had to go on all the school trips with me. Being a mom meant you had to cook dinner every night, even on the nights you really didn't want to. Being a mom meant a lot of things.

I can never thank either of you enough for everything you've done for me.