When people say "it takes a village to raise a child", you don't really understand how true it is until you're grown and on your own. My parents have been married my entire life. I've known nothing but love and support from them, no matter what I chose to do. However, they weren't the only ones who supported me. We all hear about people having a large support network being important to an individual's success. I was blessed enough to have and over-sized cheering section that was ALWAYS on my side.
To my friends parents who always looked out for me when my parents were working, thank you for taking me in as your own. To my grandparents and great grandparents who spent hours playing dress up in your heels and letting me get filthy in the mud, thank you for allowing me to embrace who I truly am. To my coaches who pushed me to my limit and then some, thank you for helping me create the best version of myself. To my teachers who were in charge of me 75% of the time, thank you for always advocating for my best interest, even when I disagreed and challenging me. And to my parents who did all of those things collectively, thank you for bringing me into this crazy world and making it everything I could've dreamed of.
There are so many other thanks you's that are due, but you get the idea. It takes more than just two parents to raise a child. It takes a village. It takes a group of committed individuals who all want to see me succeed and be a successful, contributing human to society. So thank you to my village, thank you for investing your time in me, and thank you for always believing in me.
