People believe that flowers grow and blossom only with showers of tender love and care. I, however, to some point, disagree. Sure, tender love and care plays a huge part in growing, but not the only part. There are other things that also help them grow into and become something so beautiful. In fact, there is tough love and there is doubt that help them grow.

Flowers are first seeds. They are planted and expected to grow into something so beautiful and exciting. Throughout flowers' lives, they get poured on, they get pushed around in the wind, they get run over by bicycles, get eaten by insects and they are loved. But, after every hiccup, they come back the next season sometimes bigger and more beautiful than the last. Picture the lives of humans: we're these little babies and we are expected to grow into doctors and lawyers and big money makers. In order to reach those goals, we are rained on, we are pushed down, we are run over and we are loved.

So to everyone who has helped me grow: thank you. Thank you for doubting me and telling me I cannot. Thank you for pushing me down and not helping me get back up. Thank you for not going easy on me. Thank you for your love and support through my life journey.

To those who have doubted me and told me I cannot: thank you. Throughout life, there were times where I thought things weren’t going to go as planned. And there are times where people kept pushing me down and degrading me until I felt worthless. But, those were the times where I have grown the most. Those were the times where I looked in the mirror and remember that my mom didn’t raise a coward. I was taught to fight and that’s exactly what I did. I have a few rules in life (my friends and family will tell you). “Don’t test me, don’t question me and don’t doubt me.” If you do any of those, not only does it light a fire under my ass, but I will make it a point to prove you wrong. In those times, you have helped me grow tough skin.

To those of me who pushed me down and didn’t help me get back up: thank you. There have been times through life where people tell us to trust the people around you. We basically all grew up in a fantasy world because we believed everyone has had our best interest this whole time. There are a few that will always have your best interest at heart: keep those people close. But to the ones who said they would always be someone I can rely on, thank you for letting me down. In those times where you didn’t show up when you said you would, in those times where you told me you would do me favors or help me with problems, and didn’t, you’ve helped me become independent.

To those of you who have never taken it easy on me: thank you. Tough love, man. It’s real. It’s great. There is nothing better than being pushed by someone who sees such greatness inside of another person. Nothing. Thank you. In those times where you forced me to run an extra sprint, those times where you told me the God’s honest truth when I asked for it, those times where you looked at me and told me to try harder, those times where you told me to stop crying and those times where you pushed me past my limits. Thank you. If it weren’t for you pushing into my skin and making me dig deeper, I wouldn’t be graduating college, I wouldn’t have played collegiate ball, in fact, maybe I wouldn’t even be in college at all. In those times, all of you have helped me become stronger.

To those of you who have given me endless love and support: thank you. During my life, I have had more love and support than I could have ever imagined. I have a family who loves me and would do anything for me, I have friends that would drop their world for me. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for always telling me that I could and for always giving me countless opportunities for success. Thank you for all of the friendship, the unconditional love and everything in between. In those times you have made me feel special.

In all of the times, through every stage throughout a typical life, I grew. I was taught different lessons thanks to the people who I was surrounded by, the things I was involved with, the sports I played and the people I looked up to. I grew everyday into the person I am today with a little help from my friends and family and yes, even the negative people who have been in and out of my life.

So today, I write as a senior in college about to graduate in a few short weeks. Everything I learned got me here today and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. Every hurtful word, every smile, every hug, every kiss, every laugh, every cry and all of the in betweens, I am forever thankful.

Remember in every moment, there is a lesson to be learned. I’m ready to take all of the lessons I learned and apply them in the real world. What do you plan on doing with yours?