Dear Mom and Dad,
As you are reading this, I'm sure that you're both sitting on the couch, enjoying the silence of the house and the tranquility of being empty-nesters. As I near the halfway point in my college endeavors, I've learned to appreciate your home-cooked meals and cleaning ability a lot more than I thought I would. As college students, sometimes we fall short of expressing our gratitude to our parents. For starters, you've taught me how to differentiate between real chicken and the "chicken" served at the dining hall.
Although classes might seem long and boring sometimes, if it weren't for you two, I wouldn't be here in the first place, and not just because you're funding the majority of my college education, but because you care. You always pushed me to be the best and perform at the highest level. Dad, your work ethic has taught me innumerable ways to succeed. Mom, your ability to handle 10 things on your plate at once has allowed me to balance club activities, late-night group projects, volunteer hours, and a "little" bit of Netflix here and there.
Mom, I would especially like to thank you for all those times you spent yelling at me about saving my money. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know how to make $20 last as a week's worth of gas, groceries, and shopping (although monthly transfer of funds are greatly appreciated). As far as drinking and doing drugs goes, don't worry, we're not as close to rehab as you might think. That being said, you can take the bottles of wine off of the top shelf of the closet now.
I also want to thank you for the little things. Thank you for forcing me to write thank you letters for every birthday gift, they're really coming in handy nowadays with the amount of interviews I'll have to go on to land a job following college. Thanks for encouraging me to go to bed early, as those early nights have caused me to appreciate sleep immensely after pulling an all-nighter. And a huge thank you for teaching me to separate your whites from your colors. Without that piece of advice, my shopping bill would be tripled by now.
No matter how old I'm going to be, the life lessons you've taught me will always resonate through my each and everyday. Most importantly, thank you for teaching me what love really is. For 30 years, you continued to put others first and show compassion and love in everything you do. Your relationship resonates with trust, devotion, and empathy, and has truly showed me how lucky I am to have such amazing parents like you.
Love always,
Your little (grown up) girl
