Dear Mom and Dad,

There are very few things I can do or say to thank you for the unending love and support you have shown me throughout the years. You must know that anything I face in life, I feel I can take on because I had you to raise and shape me. I am who I am because I had parents that cared for me and gave me a life in which I simultaneously wanted for nothing, worked for everything, and felt for everyone.

I have always known I had special parents. Parents who taught me how to act, how to work, how to laugh, but most of all, how to treat myself and others. I have always prided myself on being able to connect well with others; my empathy and compassion often shine through my personality. Many people comment on my social ability and outgoingness. The compliments, though, should go to you both. Dad, for teaching me that nothing is ever too serious and that the best way to make someone like you is a smile and a laugh. And you, Mom, for showing me that listening is twice as important as speaking and that asking about others is the priority. My ability to stand out in these situations is a direct line between the empathy and constant life lessons you have instilled in me.

As I begin my college career, I am filled with nervous excitement, but am constantly reassured by the faith and confidence you both have in me. In times that I feel homesick or am overcome with a sense of despair, I am reminded that throughout the lows of my life, my parents are there to lift me up, brush me off, and get me back on my feet. The lessons you have taught me, though at times unseen and difficult, are the backbone of my character and at the core of my identity.

More so, I am constantly left in shock of each of your individual work ethics. Dad, just today you joked that I have surpassed you when you were my age. But, my ability to work hard and get results is a mirror image of the work ethic you show me each and every day. Not only that but even on your hardest day at work, you come home with a hug and a kiss, rarely allowing work to affect your time with me. Mom, I have never met someone who puts their body, mind, and soul into even the smallest task. You dive fully into everything you do, and it is something that I always wish I had the capacity for. Seeing you strive every day to be your best self and come home exhausted at the end of the day gives me the energy to do the same.

I cannot imagine nor explain how difficult it must have been to raise Bissy, Geoffrey, and I. Parenthood, the idea taking on the full responsibility for another human life, is something that scares me completely. I don’t know why God thought I deserved not one, but two, parents who show me their utmost unconditional love, but, hey, I’m not complaining.

I can’t promise I won’t ever disappoint you, make you mad, or drive you crazy because I seem to do that frequently. However, I promise to call you at least once a week, but we all know it will be more like three times a day. I promise to never stop trying to make you proud. I promise to never give up on my dreams and aspirations. I love you entirely and completely, and I am so blessed to be your baby girl. Thanks for giving me this mind to think with, these hands to work with, and this heart to love with.

Always yours,

Your baby girl.