Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for being my parents. I don’t mean simply being the biological reason that I am alive and breathing today, I mean thank you for parenting me and raising me to be the person that I am today. If it weren’t for the two of you I would not be where I am today, and that is a promise.

I am moved into my dorm room and excited to start my freshman year of college. I know for certain that if you had not held me to the expectations that you did and encouraged me to always follow my heart then I would not be sitting here right now.

Thank you for not spoiling me. Thank you for allowing me to work for what I want in life and not simply giving me free handouts. You instilled a certain work-ethic in me that I hope to carry with me for the rest of my life. I do not simply sit around and hope for good things to come my way. You taught me to take on life head-on and to chase my dreams, not just wait for them to magically happen. Thank you pushing me when it came to my education, athletics, and my social life. Especially my social life.

Had you not encouraged me to never be a stranger and always make others feel welcome, I am not so sure I would have any friends. I too often liked to sit in my room watching Netflix or play on my computer, but because of you guys I forced myself to make friends and now I have some friendships that are sure to last a lifetime.

Though I hate to admit it, you were always right when it came to your dating advice. While I may have thought I had met the one, or thought that a genuinely liked me- you always saw right through what was really happening and surely saved me from a few inevitable heartbreaks. And while I may have experienced some heartbreak, you knew how to deal with that, too. You never once told me it was my fault or that I was not good enough. Relationships end sometimes. You have always told me that I have yet to introduce you to someone who you approve of to marry me, and while I always found this awfully harsh, I realize that your high expectations for me are for my own protection and benefit and I love you guys for that.

Thank you for being good role models, even though I often heard you use the phrase, “Do as I say- not as I do”. I always liked that, I’m sure I will be stealing that phrase when I have kids of my own. If I am half as good of a parent to my future children as you both have been to me, I will be so thrilled and so proud.

Thank you for loving me unconditionally.