Growing up, my parents were always having my brother and I write thank you letters to anyone who gave us gifts for our birthdays or Christmas. Even birthday cards in the mail warranted a “thank you." This has become a habit of mine and I still make sure to send out those thank you letters in a timely fashion, as my mom always told me was polite and gracious. The irony of these “thank you” letters that my parents made me write is that the two people who really deserved these letters more than anyone else never received one.

Our parents do so much for us, and of course, we have thanked them over the years, but how many of us have ever written a “thank you” that encompasses even close to what we have to be grateful for in regards to the people who raised us? I’m willing to bet not many of us have. So here’s the “thank you” letter our parents never got.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m sorry this letter has taken so long to make its way into your hands. Through the years, you have instilled in me the gracious act of always writing “thank you” letters to those who take the time to show they care about me. Being the ever humble parents you are, you have never expected one of these letters from me. However, out of all the people in my life, you are the most deserving of one. This letter is an attempt to cover just a fraction of the gratefulness I feel for the role you have played in my life.

Thank you for always being there for every little moment in my life. Thank you for being there on my first day of preschool, when I didn’t want to let go of your hand, but you were the strong one because you knew I would end up having fun.

Thank you for being there when I fell off my bike all those times when I was learning to ride my two-wheeler and always running to fix it with a band-aid. Thank you for pushing me on the swing for countless hours. Thanks for playing pretend with me and going along with my rules of “how you play." Thanks for playing board games for hours. Thanks for doing fun crafts with me and always telling me my picture was “beautiful!” (even when it wasn’t).

Thank you for never missing a night tucking me into bed and always waking up when I tiptoed into your room after a bad dream.

Thank you for making all my favorite meals, but also making sure I was getting the nutrition I needed. I sure didn’t like it then, but I appreciate the time you made me sit at the table until I finished my vegetables.

Thank you for sending me to a good school where I was able to learn in a supportive and nurturing environment. Thank you for always reminding me that it wasn’t about the grades I got, but whether or not I was trying my best. Thank you for pushing me to always try my hardest and for being there to help with homework if I needed it.

Thanks for being there for all my school programs, my sporting events, and my recitals. Thanks for always making sure I found your face in the crowd.

Thanks for being there at my high school graduation and for making sure I knew how proud you were of me. Thanks for making a big deal of it and having all our friends and family over to celebrate.

Thanks for helping me move into my dorm my first year of college. Thanks for understanding when I needed one last hug before you left.

Thanks for being there when I struggled to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Thanks for encouraging me to not worry and to remember that everything would work out in the end.

Thank you for your unending support over the years. Thank you for the advice, the encouragement, and that extra push that we all sometimes need.

Thank you for making me the most important part of your life not only when I was little, but also now, as an (almost) grown-up. Thank you for loving me through all my mistakes and for always being there to make sure I get back on track.

Thank you for teaching me it’s important to show my gratitude to those who make my life a little brighter. There have been many people over the years who have received those little notes thanking them for thinking of me. You have made my life infinitely brighter than all those people combined.

Thank you for the lessons.

Thank you for the love.

Thank you for being the most amazing parents.

Love,