Mom and Dad,
To say that you have shaped me into the person I am today would be the understatement of the century. You have supported me every step of the way, making sure that there was food on the dinner table, books on the shelf and love in my heart. I am inspired by your hard work every day--you never let me go to sleep sad, you always make time for me no matter how much work you need to do, and you constantly are doing everything you can in order to better this family. Without your determination, I would have never gotten into college, let alone be attending; I owe every piece of my success to you.
We all knew this day would come. While you may believe that you’re the only ones dreading it and that I’m overjoyed to be getting away from you, the contrary is actually true. To my wonderful parents, here are a few things I want you to know before I leave for college:
1. I will miss you… I promise!
Although I may not say it enough, I will truly miss seeing your shining faces on my worst and best days. There will be an empty place in my schedule where I would normally confide in you with all of my problems or snuggle up to you like a little kid that no one will be able to replace. I predict that I will be homesick approximately five minutes after you leave, and be calling you within the next hour to let you know about that “thing” I forgot that requires you to make a trip to see me next weekend… oops! Yes, I am excited to be starting the next chapter of my life with new friends, scenes, knowledge and experiences, but at the end of the day, you will always be the ones I call to tell that I finally did a load of laundry.
2. I will be the person you raised me to be, even though you won’t be there to see it.
Just because I’m going off to college doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon all of the moral lessons you taught me throughout my adolescence. You both raised me to be respectful, generous, humble and motivated, and those are all characteristics I fully intend on portraying as I work my way through college and life. I know that you will worry that I’ll leave all that you taught me at home, but I promise to make our family proud and represent us well.
3. I could never forget you.
Leaving you two will be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and every day I consider how difficult it will be to not be able to see you whenever I want. I know it will be hard for you too, and sometimes you will feel like I’ve forgotten you. Please don’t forget that as much as you’re missing me, I’m missing you just as much, and sometimes more. Every time something happens, you two will be the first that I call; and on the days when I feel like I have no time to talk to you or let you know what’s going on, I promise to make time. You sacrificed so much to support me, and I will sacrifice whatever I have to in order to make sure that we have a good conversation often. I could never forget about the two people who gave me everything, when I had nothing.
4. Thank you.
Through it all, you two have been there for me no matter what; heartbreaks, bad grades, injuries and much more, you stuck by my side when no one else did. I will forever be grateful for the guidance you two have given me. No matter my mood, you held my hand and kissed my forehead anyway. You gave me love when there was hate in my heart; you gave me purpose when I had none; you gave me wisdom when I was lost. I don’t say it often enough, and I know that I never will, but thank you for making me the person I am today. Thank you for the endless support, love, and admiration as I followed my dreams. My goal in life is to make you both proud, and even though you tell me everyday that I do, I want to continue making you proud throughout my entire life, whether or not you’re there to witness it. Thank you for believing in me; I am forever grateful for all that you both do for me.
College will be a difficult time; not because of the classes or the independence, but because I will not be with you most of the time. It will be so hard for me to leave the two people that made me the person I am today, but I promise I’ll be back. You are the best parents anyone could ever ask for, and I love you more than the world. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to further my education and life experience; I promise I won’t let you down.
