Everyone deserves to know that they are appreciated, whether it's your best friend helping you through a tough situation, or the student who waited those extra seconds to hold the door open for you. The little acts I feel we seem to overlook sometimes. I mean, sure, we say thank you to the guy who handed you the sandwich we ordered, but why do why don't we hear thank you for the bigger, more monumental moments in our life?

Here's the list of 'Thank You's' I owe to people who will never leave my life, and to the one's who have left to soon. You all have impacted my life in one way or another, so for that I thank you.

1. My Mother.

Do you remember that one package you sent me with the little pink post-it saying, "Hold in there, Mommy loves you." Thank you for that little sense of courage I wake up every morning too. It's hard living 200 miles away from your best friend, but that little selfless act makes it all worth it to get out of bed and live for today. To live to take the chances you didn't get to have. You have taught me things as simplistic as not putting whites in with colors, to that I should never ever depend on a man for my happiness. Thank you for taking my side between battles with Dad, thank you for holding all my secrets, thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a life for myself. I know that you are proud of me, but I just want you to know I am proud of you, too. You have taught me how to be strong, and how to be independent. You never have it easy, and I thank you for struggling so I wouldn't have too. You deserve all the happiness in the world and more, I know I can be a lot to handle between my self doubt and pleas to send me that extra 25 dollars to get a manicure, but you do it all with no complaints. OK, maybe a little, I'm sorry I didn't clean my room, again. I know I am your world, but thank you for bringing me into this world. I know Mommy loves me, but I just want you to know I love you, too.

2. My Father.

Daddy's little girl is a statement I'm sorry to say you'll probably never stop hearing. You do all that a father does, and even more. You haven't just taught me how to survive in this world, but you have also instilled that I have all the tools to do anything I set my mind too. You are the most determined and motivated man I have ever met, and I know I get my perfectionist tendencies from you. You have taught me that I can always strive for more. Never to settle into something, there is always more this life has to offer. You work uncomfortably for today, so I can have a comfortable tomorrow. You have not taught me how a man should treat me, you have showed me how a man will one day treat me. I know I don't call often, or send that quick text to say what's up, but I want you to know that doesn't mean that I'm not thinking about you. You have to remember I am your daughter, and as much as I don't pick up the phone, neither do you. But it doesn't mean I love you any less. You are my hero. You have given me experiences, I know people are even so lucky to hear about in this day and age. You have taught me lessons that I have only learned because of the things you have went through. Thank you, Daddy. For giving a princess like me a king as great as you and a castle to call home. I love you to the moon and back.

3. My High School Friends.

Hey! Remember me? Long time no talk. I'm sorry, I know I am horrible with keeping in touch, but it doesn't me I don't miss you. Oh man, what don't I have to thank you for. Thank you for experiencing all my firsts with me. Thank you for knowing I needed help, even when I thought otherwise. High school was rough. I waited for four years for something more and got so lost in translation that I missed out on the 'best years of life'. But thank you for being my sense of home. You gave me comfort, you gave me my space when I needed it, and you also gave me my Netflix-binging marathons when I needed it, too. You guys made a prison felt like a home and there will never be a day I won't thank you for that, You guys will forever hold my darkest secrets, and my biggest regrets. Thank you for being my people, when I felt like I could never escape this world.

4. Cheerleading

Wow, it's been a while. You took up four years of my life and all I could think to comprehend it, is thank you. Thank you for all the lessons I learned. Thank you for teaching myself to push myself to be more. That I was capable of some much more -- I was capable of doing whatever I put my mind too. You blessed me with stamina. You blessed me with sisters. You taught me in my darkest moments to carry life with a smile on my face. You gave me endurance, you gave me strive. You taught me right from wrong, and even in my darkest moments you gave me my light, and I will forever be grateful. I will still always be a groupie, a Worlds phenomenon and a double full enthusiast, even though the chapter of you in my life has come to an end.

5. My Girlfriends

I've never felt like I've had more of family until I met you. What don't I have to thank you for? You have given me a sense of security I have never seen before. You have given me the chance to be myself when you have seen the worst part of me. You have taught me there's more to life than the boy of this week. You have been there to console me in my darkest times but have been there to laugh with me in my most lighten times. You girls are the sisters I didn't know I needed. But in your presence, I have a home away from home. You girls give me the confidence to achieve even my deepest fears and believe in me when I don't even believe in myself. You have taught me how to instill confidence in myself and that a bad day does not mean a bad week, and that a bad week does not mean a bad year. I may not have found my husband in Club Morris, but I most definitely found my bridesmaids.

6. My Guy Friends

There's a difference sense of security I have when I'm with you. You give me comfort and the confidence to tell you guys anything without feeling like you're going to judge me because I'm not wearing makeup or because I live in sweatpants. You know how to let me know when I'm being dramatic, and you know how to make me laugh when all I want to do is cry. You are my shoulder to cry on, or my partner in crime if I just need some Chipotle in my life. I thank you for letting me see things from the other side, and I love playing mom and helping you decipher what really does on inside a girl's mind. Thank you for being the brothers I was never blessed to have and I know I can always count on you to beat my ass in Mario Kart. It takes a lot of patience to be friends with a melodramatic mozzarella-stick-obsessed girl like me, but hey, you're killing it. Don't change.

7. My Exes.

Hey you, lol. i know what could I possibly thank you for? Surprisingly a whole lot. You have changed me for the better. You have taught me that all good things must come to an end. You have given me lessons how how I should not depend on anyone else for happiness and you taught me it's okay to let others in even if they are only temporary in my life. You taught me that I deserve better than what I have been given, and that everyone is not always going to be so infatuated with you as you are with them. You taught me that I can never fully love someone unless I learn how to love myself. And you have forced me to love myself. I wish nothing but the best for you, and I thank you for the good times that we have once shared. At one point, you were my person. You were once all I wanted, and I know I know I will someday find someone that is all I need. Thank you for helping me grow into the person I want to be.

This is not your ever-so-average Thank You list. I'm not thanking my mom for buying me that cute new dress from Francesca's or Daddy for killing the spider in my room. I've been reflecting more and more lately on the occurrences in my life and learned that each moment in your life has influenced you in one way or another. There's only one perosn I want to be better than, and it's the person I was yesterday. This could not be done without each and every influence in my life- through the good and through the bad. Everything happens for a reason and I will forever be grateful for the reason life brought me you.

Thank you.