An Open Letter To My Parents.

Dear Parents-

Thank you for teaching me that giving up is not an option. You showed me that no matter how hard times are; you don’t give up. You don’t make excuses, you don’t whine and pout (maybe I do this a little), you don’t blame others. Instead, you figure out a way to set yourself on fire and survive.  

Thank you for teaching me the value of hard work. Nothing in this world worth having is easy to get. Actually, it’s not very logical or practical to think that you ‘deserve’ things or that things should be handed to you. You showed me that if I wanted something I would have to work for it. There is no such thing as a hand out but instead all of these things will be rewarded after hard work. 

Thank you for not buying me everything I ever wanted. Thank you for making me pay my way through school. Thank you for not giving me your credit cards. Thank you for really making me learn the hard way the value of my paychecks. Thank you for teaching me how to budget.

Thank you for teaching me the value of waking up and not sleeping in. Thank you for not allowing me to waste the days in a dark room. Thank you for teaching me to stand up for what I believe in. Thank you for teaching me to speak my mind. Thank you for teaching me about respect.

Thank you for always standing behind me and standing up for me. Thank you for allowing me the freedom to do what I love. Thank you for giving me the wings to fly. Thank you for always only being a phone call away. 

Thank you for being my parents and not my friend. Thank you for being my parents and not my drinking buddy. I have enough friends, thank you for understanding that and knowing that what I really need are parents, not four more friends. 

Over all, thank you for teaching me how to love. We may not have had the most of everything but the thing I can tell you we had the most and best of was love. You guys taught me that even in the lowest of times the love can and will still be there. No matter what was going on in my life I knew and still know that you guys will ALWAYS BE THERE for me. I can always call home. No matter how lost I’ve gotten myself, there will always be love for me within your hearts. And quite simply, that’s the best thing you could have ever given me.