Being away at college, an unfortunately easy mistake a lot of college students make is forgetting to thank their parents. Most of us wouldn’t be where we are today without them, and I think it’s important to give them the recognition they deserve. With that being said, here are a few things I need to say to my parents…
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for sticking with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over. I don’t think it is possible to accurately convey how grateful I am that you have never given up on me despite my failures. You’ve always taught me to keep pushing, to keep fighting, and to keep striving for my dreams until I achieve them. I know I wasn’t the easiest kid to raise, and I can’t thank you enough for your undying love and support. Our journey thus far has consisted of laughs, cries, triumphs, tribulations, etc.- and you’ve managed to stay positive and encouraging through it all.
Thank you for teaching me how to laugh at myself. Out of all the lessons you’ve taught me, this is by far one of my favorites. One of the many traits I inherited from my mom is my clumsiness, and this has caused for an abnormal amount of embarrassing moments to happen in the 19 years I’ve been alive. However, right from the beginning you guys taught me to embrace life as it comes- embarrassing moments and all. Sometimes we tend to take ourselves to seriously and forget that we are all human, but you always reminded me of that and kept me grounded. Thank you for teaching me that it’s okay to laugh at yourself, and odds are everyone else is laughing too.
Thank you for demonstrating humility. From day one, one of the most important values you instilled in your kids is that humility is essential and that we are in no way better than any other human being. Every person is of equal importance and deserves to be respected just as much as I do. We’ve experienced highs and lows, and you taught me to stay humble when things were going well, but hopeful when they weren’t. Either way, humility is fundamental for growth and I can’t thank you enough for constantly reminding me of that.
Thank you for making me work for what I want. Even when I was little, you guys made me do chores for my weekly allowance and never gave me anything unless I rightfully earned it. Although I didn’t love it at the time, that was one of the best favors you have ever done for me. Nothing in life comes easy, and absolutely nothing is openly handed to you without working for it. You guys taught me this from the beginning, and because of you I am fully capable of working hard for what I want to achieve in life. Thank you for giving me the confidence in myself and my abilities to go into the world with full force and to not take no for an answer.
Thank you for being my role models. Not only are you my role models, but you’re also my best friends, my adventure partners, my critics, and my biggest supporters. I would be no where without the undying love, support and kindness you have constantly gifted me with throughout my entire life. I hope to become even half of the hard-working, independent, and strong individuals that you both continue to be everyday. Thank you for showing me who I want to become and for giving me hope that anything I strive for is attainable.
Thank you for everything. Thank you, mom and dad, for literally everything you’ve ever done, everything you continue to do, and everything you will eventually do in the future. I couldn’t ask for better parents. Thank you for loving me when I wasn’t very loveable, for believing in me when I couldn’t believe in myself, and for giving me a life that I can be thankful for every single day.
Love,
Jasmine
