Dear parents,

I know I haven't made either of your lives easier at times by acting the way I have, but thank you for always sticking by my side even through the worst times when it didn't seem like it was going to get better. I know that at times I have bent, stretched and broken the rules, but still you love me. I don't know if every child goes through a rebellious stage, but I know I did. I don't regret all the mistakes I've made thus far, because each argument with you or length of time I was grounded taught me something. Each little white lie or stretch of the truth had consequences of its own; whether it was a small lesson about knowing when to hold my tongue, each time I became better because of my consequences.
Now, I am clearly the type of person that makes the same mistake four or five times before I have officially learned my lesson, but at least I'm learning something. And just because I said I didn't necessarily regret my actions doesn't mean I'm not sorry for them.

Mom, I know there was a time that I was practically uncontrollable and ruthless and I'm sure you went to bed some nights wondering what you were doing wrong, and the truth is you were doing everything right but I just wasn't listening. It's kinda hard to tell someone something and attempt to change them if that's not what he or she wants. I also know there was a time you probably couldn't, or at least it was hard, to trust me, but thank you for doing it anyway. You're a great mother and you didn't deserve my constant attitude and backlash literally every single day, but you have remained patient and loving through it all and I am forever thankful for that. And I'll definitely remember your loving heart when disciplining my children in the future. I'm sure one day I'll have a child just like myself as payback for being so crude to you sometimes. At first we'll all think it's cute because it's just considered "sassy" at first, but eventually it will turn into full brattiness and I'll have to pay my dues. Hopefully it'll make it easier to prevent the full swing of things considering the fact that I am the drama queen so I already know every secret to it.
Either way, I want to thank you one last time for seeing the innocence and goodness in me. I know it was super difficult to parent me sometimes and it was questionable as to if you were doing your job effectively, but you were the whole time. Through your prayers and thoughts, I'm a better person now than I ever have been and it's because of y'all. I love you.