Dear Mom and Dad,
I can only hope that I have become the person you’ve always wanted me to be and even though I cause stress I’m still blessed that you haven’t disowned me yet. We’re completely dysfunctional sometimes but I like it. More importantly, I want to acknowledge all the times that I didn’t say “thank you”, “I’m sorry” or “I love you”. It’s easy to forget that most of the things you two have done for me you have gone out of your way to do so. As I’ve gotten older I realize how lucky I’ve been.
Mom, thanks for giving me birth. I guess I always forget to say thank you for that because I feel like I’m the greatest gift to you and dad…but I have come to the conclusion that you and dad are the greatest gift I have ever been given. We don’t and probably will never see eye to eye, but it’s because I get my attitude from you and therefore when it comes to decision-making I stand firm in my choices. I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused between the ages of 13 and 18. Looking back, it’s surprising you didn’t ground me more often because I completely deserved it. I didn’t always say I loved you, especially after all those wonderful home cooked meals after you had just gotten off of work, the random “just because you’re my daughter gifts”, and teaching me how to drive a stick-shift. People say I look exactly like you…I still don’t see it. But, if I happen to handle my age as well as you do, I won’t be mad. Honestly I’ll be blessed if I have half as much strength, courage, determination, and dance moves as you when I get older. I find myself sounding and acting more like you every day and it’s scary because I’m not sure when I started becoming you but I hope I make you proud.
Dad, thanks for helping mom create the most wonderful human-being that ever lived…me. As much as you don’t want to believe it, you and I are pretty much the same person. We even share the same laugh, you know the type of laugh that makes other people laugh even when things aren’t funny. Also, thanks for instilling me with a love for sports it’s a great conversation starter for meeting extremely attractive men ̶ “So how about those Chicago Bulls? They haven’t been great since Jordan and Pippen, right?”. I’m sorry for the 19 million questions I use to ask you when I younger and you had just gotten off of work, but to be fair mom had answered a good portion of them and she needed a break from me. I truly believe the greatest thing you have ever taught me was patience because I test yours all the time. I love you for always being my partner in crime and taking the fall for me sometimes when I was in trouble with mom. Being my dad is a full-time job, a job that doesn’t pay enough but I’m blessed that you’ve never turned in your letter of resignation. The things you do to keep mom and me happy deserves more praise then you often get. No matter how old I get, I’ll always be your little girl.
Sometimes I wish I could rewind time and revisit all the times I took for granted, but now I just look back on them and appreciate them heavily. Mom and Dad, thanks. I waited 18 years to move out of the house and go to college and now that I’ve been gone for a couple of years I realize that I shouldn’t have been so quick to grow up. I miss the smell of mom’s pancakes in the morning and the sound of dad snoring while on the living room couch. You two are the true definition of love and I hope my future husband and I will share a bond as close as yours. I don’t know how you guys managed to put up with me for so long, but I’m thankful that you never given up on me and pushed me to be better. You two have never asked for much, but you deserve it all….one day I hope I can give you everything you’ve ever given me.
Love,
Your daughter