Dear Mom and Dad,

It’s a new year, and this year I’ll turn 21. When I was a kid, I never understood you guys, and sometimes I still struggle to, but as I get older, things get clearer. As I start to understand more about who you are and why you do what you do, I want to say thank you.

Thank you for coming here to America to make better lives for yourselves, and by extension, us. I could never imagine how hard that was, but I’m proud to be an American and even prouder to be your daughter.

Thank you for all the times you were hard on me as a kid. I didn’t understand then, and I can’t definitively say I do now considering that I’m not a parent. However, all of those experiences made me the person that I am today, and for that I am grateful.

Thank you for at least trying to support all the quirky things I wanted to do and try when I was a kid, it has made me more confident in who I am all these years later.

Thank you for making our house a home, even though at times it hasn’t been ideal. That is a skill I hope to carry with me throughout my whole life. Already it has helped me with an idea of what I’d like my future home to look like.

Thank you for teaching me that homemade meals and family dinners are important. I’ve moved out now, and I’ve met plenty of people who have rarely ever had dinner with their family as a whole, and I sometimes think that’s quite sad.

And most of all, thank you for your support. I’ve grown up a lot in the last couple of years, and I feel even more so in the last couple of months. The support you’ve lent me is a large part of why I’ve been able to make it through not only in one piece, but able to thrive.

You have been the best examples of individuals, parents, and life partners that I can imagine. Thank you. I love you.

Meera