A 'Thank You' Letter To My Absent Father

A 'Thank You' Letter To My Absent Father

Sometimes water is thicker than blood.
Alli Nepa
Alli Nepa Mar 14, 2016
43383
views

Dear you,

I want you to know that writing this letter did not come easily for me. There were parts of my life that I wished you were there, but then I finally understood that growing up without you was the best thing for me. Our paths have crossed and then they divided again, and to be truthful, I like it much better that way. This isn't a letter expressing my bitterness, but rather my thanks to you for not being there.

I want to be mad at you. I want to throw something at you and tell you that you ruined my life, but that simply isn't the case. Growing up without a biological father was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I want you to notice that I said biological. I had many people take your place. My mom, my grandparents, my siblings, my friends' parents, the list goes on and on.

You were simply not needed.

Not having you in my life made me strong, powerful, careful, and happy. I was able to experience things differently than my friends who had a two parent home.

I was able to experience an overwhelming amount of love and support from all different angles. I was able to have my mom go on every school field trip and watch me learn. I built a relationship with my mother that is twice as strong as it would be if you were around.

For years, I watched my mom grow with me. At the time I didn't know it, but I now I see that she struggled. She wanted only the best for me and she did whatever she could so that I would have it. She understood that early mornings and long nights would be tough in the moment, but help me in the long run. My mother played both roles and I couldn't be more proud of her. I hope that one day I'm at least half the women that she was and twice the parent you could ever be.

Most importantly though, I'm proud of myself. I'm proud that I made it through high school and that I will be a college graduate come May and I did it without you. I'm proud of myself that I finally understand that my life is perfect without you in it, even though I spent years trying to figure out why you weren't a part of my life. I have family who supports me, a boyfriend who loves me, and friends who are always around. I'm proud that I was finally able to realize that I did not need a biological father because I had many different father figures in all of the people around me.

Blood does not always symbolize family and sometimes water is in fact thicker.

I wish nothing but good things for you, but my life is better because you were not there.

Sincerely,

Me

Alli Nepa
Alli Nepa Mar 14, 2016
At Stevenson University

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To The Grandmothers Who Made Us The Women We Are Today

Sincerely, the loving granddaughters.
Carlie Konuch
Carlie Konuch Oct 2, 2017
572952
views

The relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter is something so uniquely special and something to be treasured forever.

Your grandma loves you like you are her own daughter and adores you no matter what. She is the first person you run to when you have a problem with your parents and she never fails to grace you with the most comforting advice.

She may be guilty of spoiling you rotten but still makes sure to stress the importance of being thankful and kind.

Your grandma has most likely lived through every obstacle that you are experiencing now as a young adult and always knows just exactly what to say.

She grew up in another generation where things were probably much harder for young women than they are today.

She is a walking example of perseverance, strength, and grace who you aim to be like someday.

Your grandma teaches you the lessons she had to learn the hard way because she does not want you to make the same mistakes she did when she was growing up.

Her hugs never fail to warm your heart, her smile never fails to make you smile, and her laugh never fails to brighten your day.

She inspires you to be the best version of yourself that you can be.

You only hope that one day you can be the mother and grandmother she was to you.

A piece of girl’s heart will forever belong to her grandma that no one could ever replace.

She is the matriarch of your family and is the glue that holds you all together.

Grandmothers play such an important role in helping their granddaughters to grow into strong, intelligent, kind women.

She teaches you how to love and how to forgive.

Without the unconditional love of your grandma, you would not be the woman you are today.

To all of the grandmothers out there, thank you for being you.

Sincerely,

the loving granddaughters

Cover Image Credit: Carlie Konuch
Carlie Konuch
Carlie Konuch Oct 2, 2017
At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

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The Power of Good Roommates

Find the people who make you laugh til you cry and move in with them.

Sierra Zinke
Sierra Zinke Jul 19, 2018
353
views

Going to college super far away can be hard especially when you do not know anyone going to that school. Picking people to live with is terrifying because you never know what is going to happen and everyone hears horror stories about roommates.

But when you finally get roommates who you are friends with, who you spend time with, laugh with and are overall great roommates, it is a totally different game.

I have had my fair share of roommates (living with six different people within three years of college) both pretty good and pretty crappy. It was not until recently I got three new roommates that I learned how powerful having great roommates can be.

I feel that I am a relatively easy going person so I have happily picked random roommates (all but once) but never really clicked with the people I was living with until now.

The three most recent roommates that I have have been by far the most influential and amazing roommates I've had yet. They support me, make me laugh and always include me with everything. There are days where we do nothing but lay on the floor and tag each other in videos on Facebook even though we are less than two feet away from each other.

But most importantly it amazes me how much good roommates can change your overall life.

I used to be a person who rolled through the motions, got stressed WAY too easily, was easily upset and would try way too hard to live a perfect life. But now I am more easy going, I laugh a whole lot more, cry a whole lot less and am comfortable going with the flow. And most importantly HAPPIER.

The very first night one of the new roommates moved in, she knocked on my door and asked me to go bowling with her and some friends (one which was another one of our roommates). We went and I didn't know anyone but had such a good time. Before this night I would sit in my room and not talk to any of my roommates because they were friends while I was not very close with them.

Flash forward a month to day…

Two of us were home and both wanted to go out as a group and both texted the other one to come home so we could all hangout. We are always laughing and smiling, telling jokes, checking in on classes or just how the day went. I used to never want to leave the house or my room but now I feel weird sitting in my room and not being with them.

The greatest part about meeting these people is that I know when we all move out of the apartment in a month I will still have great friends.

You may have roommates that you hate, you may have roommates that you "live with" and you might have roommates that you love. There is so much power in finding people you click with, so I challenge you to find those people who make you want to dance around the living room and laugh until you cry.

Cover Image Credit:

Isabel Parent

Sierra Zinke
Sierra Zinke Jul 19, 2018
At University of Maine

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