To those who have loved me unconditionally,

Let’s not beat around the bush here. I am a very hard person to love. I know that. You know that. It’s a fact that can’t be argued. I am stubborn, impatient, and indecisive. I tend to be very blunt at times, to the point I am low-key offending someone. I ask for advice, yet rarely take the advice given to me, I guess that’s my stubbornness coming to light. I like to be spontaneous, but get flustered when something isn’t planned to a tee. I know anyone who sticks around after seeing how picky of an eater I can be is here for the long run! So this is to the ones who have been my backbone through the happy and sad times.

Thank you, for not leaving my side.

You know who you are. You have been there for me in my darkest moments, and you have been for me during some of my happiest experiences. Because of you, I have made it through a lot of situations. I have come out on top of almost all situations, because I had you supporting me. Through the tears, and the laughs, memories are always being made. Time and time again, I can recount all the times I have made silly mistakes. I’m a college girl, in my twenties, I am certainly bound to make foolish choices. But aren’t we all regardless of our age?

I’ve fallen into the habit of not talking about my emotions or problems that arise in my life. I feel if I don’t talk about what is happening, it’s not realistic. This is unrealistic thinking. There are times where my mood gets me down, and all I want to do is swallow in self-pity, but I know I have my friends to force me to talk. My friends are there to force me to speak. If I don’t speak, they do. Sometimes the best advice I am given are from you. You’re there to always make me laugh, even when I feel my world is in pieces. Somehow, even after I feel like I have nothing left to offer, my friends show me there is more to life than what’s happening around me. They're the ones who tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. How many people are willing to stick by someone who goes from zero to one hundred within a flip of a switch? Not many. That’s why I am beyond thankful for my friends. Because they love me for who I am, and for what I have to offer. My friends are like family to me. We laugh together, we cry together, and we make memories together. So thank you for being who you are, and bringing the best out of me in the toughest times. But most of all, thank you for sticking by me when I needed you the most.

I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for my family. Like my friends, my family keeps me in line as well. When I am thinking crazy scenarios, I can count on my sisters to tell me the truth. I count on my sisters to give me the sisterly advice they’re supposed to give their younger sibling. When I am making impulsive decisions, my sisters can safely call me out, because they’re my family, and I love them. They want what is best for me. When I need motherly advice, my mom is right there to give me her wise words. I may not like what you have to say in that moment, but we all know the saying, “mothers know what’s best.” You know when I’m not my usual self, and you always check in to make sure I’m emotionally, as well as mentally okay. Mothers are there to protect you, and though you can be over-protective at times, I know you’re only an ear away to listen to my ranting. You know exactly what to say to make me laugh, and to pick me up when I’m down in the dumps. Just like fathers are there to teach you things, like how to change a tire on a car, or change the oil of a car. Some fathers are like mothers. They give their children some of the best advice anyone could ask for. But I don’t have that kind of relationship with my father. But that’s okay! That doesn’t mean he’s not there for me. I know if any boy breaks my heart, my dad will be there not only to help me through the heartache, but he’s going after that boy to give him an earful for breaking his little girl’s heart. My dad acts like a tough guy, but we all know he has a heart of gold deep, down inside. I wouldn’t change anything about that. So, thank you to my sisters for being my best friends. Thank you to my mom who lets me pour my heart out to her randomly. Thank you to my dad who protects me as if I’m still that little eight year old, running around the backyard without a care in the world.

Most of all, thank you to not only my friends, and family, but random people I’ve come across for loving me unconditionally. You look past my flaws, and see the person I truly can be. I am funny at times without noticing. I am headstrong, and creative. And I am goofy to the point people question my maturity. Most of all, I am all of these qualities because of you. Every day, I am reminded by those around me just how great of a person I am, and how great of a life I have. It’s okay to have off days, but thank you for picking me up when my body feels like a thousand pounds that can’t be moved. I will forever feel in debt for the happiness you have put in my life, but I will always try to repay you by making you laugh just as much as you have made me. I look forwards to all the great memories to come!

Thank you.