Do you ever feel as though you are constantly being watched by some kind of angel that serves as your armor and will protect you throughout any battle, always guaranteeing safety and comfort whenever you may feel exploited or vulnerable? An angel that you can always look to in times of desperation, that will always be your first resort when things don’t pan out the way you hope?

Well, if you happen to be as fortunate as me, this angel will appear in a union. Two individuals, coexisting in one body and obtaining all of the desirable characteristics that one looks for when seeking an outlet: tenderness, sympathy, honesty, forgiveness, and the ability to make someone a better person than he or she was before.

My parents wed over 37 years ago in my mother’s hometown of Jersey City, New Jersey. Luckily, they have survived together as lovers and best friends and will continue to do so for years to come. Both my mother and my father, two extremely hard-working and completely unselfish individuals, have functioned as my guardian angels throughout the duration of my 18 years on planet Earth.

From the moment I was conceived up until the present day, my parents have always put my interests, along with the interests of my four older brothers, in front of their own in order to assure us a pleasant and enjoyable life.

My mother, who is now retired, worked on her feet for eight hours each day. My father continues to toil year round in order to keep a roof over the heads of my brothers and I and to provide us with luxuries that many other children around the world are not fortunate enough to have.

Of course, there have been bumps along the road, obstacles in the way of success that must be overcome one way or another. There is always a way around such obstacles. If there is not, you must carve your own path to success.

My parents have done anything and everything for their five children, and I cannot express how grateful I am for that. Times have come where I know that they wanted to give in, to let everything they believed in go to waste and let it all fall by the wayside.

But no, not my parents.

Mary and Robert McGrath have persevered through life and will continue to do so for as long as they live. All of the hard times are in the past, and it is crucial to leave such evils behinds and focus on the present. I am lucky enough to call my parents my guardian angels, as they will continue to look over me for as long as time allows them to.

Here is to Mary and Robert McGrath, a lifetime full of unity and love, and the two best people I have ever met in my entire life.

Cheers!