Dear Mom and Dad,
As Father's Day approaches, I’ve finished my first week as a camp counselor and I realize that being a parent cannot be easy. Throughout my life, I never felt unloved. Although we’ve had our moments, I've always known that you had my back. You have been by my side for every step I made and continue to make, and this with the rest of what I've written below are why I appreciate every day I have with you.
Mom, thank you for teaching me that no matter what anyone tells me, my name is Valerie Lamb and that means something. Because of this, I have learned to always follow my own path, and I have found my way into many leadership positions. Thank you for teaching me that style and cleanliness is important. One of my favorite parts of the week were our Sunday traditions of going to the mall and getting our nails done. I know we don’t do it as often as we used to because I’m away at college, but just know I miss it. Additionally, thank you for being Dominican; I know you can’t help that, but being exposed to a different culture is something not everyone gets to experience. One of my favorite memories is having plántanos maduros for breakfast with butter and cheese on top even if it wasn’t the healthiest option. Finally, thanking for teaching me that honesty is important. I know people at school don't understand why I still follow the rules you laid out for me while I'm away at college, but I know that I could never lie to you because your trust means the world to me.
Dad, I know I don’t say this out loud, but you’re my best friend. My friends laugh about how I’m always on the phone, especially when it’s usually with you, but I know I can’t finish my day without getting advice from you first. Thank you for being there at every softball game, every show, every practice whether it was softball, gymnastics, soccer, or swimming, and every award ceremony. Thank you for teaching me that punctuality is important even when it meant that I was 20 minutes earlier than everyone else and had to sit around until others arrived. Thank you for not only being an advisor to my sister and me, but to every kid you’ve ever met as a teacher. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard, “You’re so lucky to have Mr. Lamb as your dad.” Of course, thank you for also teaching me that education is important. The International Baccalaureate Program may have kicked my butt in high school, but I’m so glad you forced me to stick with it. I was also one of the few kids to actually know politics and this is partly because you allowed me to watch MSNBC and CNN after school. Because of that, I found my interest.
There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe how thankful I am for being blessed with the parents I have now. Not many kids can say they are close as they are to their parents as I am, and even though I spend most of the months out of the year at a school 16 hours away, I still feel like they’re always with me. I know I’m not the best at expressing how grateful I am, but I hope you both know I love you and wouldn’t trade you for the world.
