To the “crazy psychos” who always told me to follow my dreams, to the people who stood by me in the best and worst of times, to the people who inspired me everyday and encouraged me that anything is possible and worth doing…I want to thank you. I want to thank you for always being my backup when I need help getting out of a situation. I want to thank you for coming to my concerts and performances, screaming at the top of your lungs to see if I would be embarrassed. I want to thank you for all of the crafts, the laughs, the fears, and the tears we have shared. I want to thank you for 18 or so amazing years, because without you guys in my life, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
To the oldest I have never met, I know that one day we will meet, and I hope that I can or have already made you proud. I know that I will love you, and I will love to get to know you, but until then I’m glad you were a part of my family’s life. I hope I can make as great of an impact as you have.
To my oldest sister who works magic in her own way, I want to thank you for all the support. I want to thank you for being my crafty inspiration. You’re a strong working, independent woman with two amazing children, who I am glad to know as my niece and nephew. To my nephew who is older than I am, we may not always see eye to eye, but I want to thank you for being a part in my life. It’s the little moments that mean the most, and you were my acting inspiration. You’ll go far, and maybe one day I’ll see you on the Broadway stage. You’ve got talent; don’t ever forget that. To my only niece, you can be a pain, but I love how bubbly and excited you get. You’re eyes sparkle, and you’re just a little ball of energy. You inspire me to never give up and to be persistent. You’ve got great skill when it comes to ice skating, and I know that one day you’ll be dancing on ice with traveling ice dancers around the globe.
To the middle child, I want to thank you for spoiling me. I want to thank you for our sister dates and all the gossip we shared. I want to thank you for the sleepovers and always trying your best to make it to every single concert and performance I’ve been involved with. I look up to you for guidance, and you are definitely the reason I’m so picky when it comes to my “fashion sense.” You’re an amazing big sister! However, your husband is a bit stubborn. Stubborn or not though, he can grill anything. He may not be able to make it to a lot of my concerts, but when it comes to anything that’s extremely important to me, I know I can find you, him, and your child in the audience, and I want to thank him for that. I want to thank my nephew. Ever since you were little, you would repeat things you heard on commercials to be encouraging such as, “Don’t get mad, get Glad.” To this day, you’re still encouraging in your own way, saying things like, “Don’t worry; I won't let you lose too bad.”
To my brother, I want to thank you for helping me study when I was little or helping me with my homework when mom and dad were busy. I want to thank you for being my playmate, even if that was the only free time you had. You’ve always looked out for me and protected me, and I wish I could do the same--but come on, you were a big star high school linebacker… you got this! I should know, you’d pin me to the ground until I said uncle. As for your cute little boy, I hope he grows up to be just like you. You’re a great father, and that kid needs you to be that great role model we know you are.
I want to thank someone who means the world to me. She has been with me starting day one and raised me alone by the time I turned 13. This woman is my world! We may have our fights, we may have our movie nights, we may have our little family dinners, but even after I leave for college, you’ll still be right there by my side, supporting me as you have for everything else. You are the best mom I could ever ask for, and no mother or stepmother for that matter could ever replace you. You are a strong, independent woman who overcame some things nobody should ever go through. You managed to survive taking care of me, even though there were times I was a handful. I will never forget all you have done.
Finally, I want to thank everyone in my family I haven't mentioned...my family is so big, and if I continued to name everyone, I'd need to write five more articles. I love you guys, and I hope you can continue to make a huge influence, difference, and stay a part in my life.
Love,
Kendra
