To My Young Parents,

First things first, y'all are the best and coolest parents that I know. Now that I got the niceties out of the way, I want to express why it has been the greatest blessing to have young parents. Let's just go ahead and say that y'all have made my life great. Mom and Dad, y'all have been one of the biggest blessings in my life. And for that, I can never repay y'all for everything you have done for me for 20 years.

Thank you both for having me young and growing up for me. I know at the ages of 17 and 20, it wasn't easy to have me on the way. I also know that y'all both grew up quickly for me. You bypassed a lot of your life. But because you did that, it has shown me just how strong people can be at a young age. Thank you, Dad, for working while mom was finishing up high school and thank you for letting me be your little girl. Thank you, Mom, for finishing high school and going to college and showing me what I should be doing later on.

Thank you both for being the 'cool' parents that all my friends love. Thanks for being okay with my friends showing up after Friday night football games, or just because we all wanted to hang out (or letting us borrow your truck to go to the drive-in). And thanks for always being 'adopted' parents for my friends, they can all come to you both if they needed something. Thanks for always trying to make time to let me bond with my friends, either here or somewhere else. But thank you for always having y'all's friends around. It has shown me what true friendships look like, and that the friends I have now will someday turn into family.

Thank y'all for growing up with me. We all have grown up together and figured everything out together. It's pretty cool to look back and see that we have grown up together and grown as a family. We all have figured things out along the way. The house has never been boring and always full of love.

Thank you both for encouraging me to follow my heart and all my hopes and dreams. You both have always had the world's faith in me and what I can accomplish. Thank you for pushing me to be my best self and to be true to me. Thank you for showing me that I always have a home to come back to, even if I haven't ventured too far away. And thank you for always telling me to set high goals and shoot for the stars.

Thank you for showing me what true love looks like and that it can literally come at any time. I'm sure that you didn't know what would come from y'all going to Dad's senior prom in 1993. But I sure am glad that Mom said yes. Thanks for making us have family meals together and to sit and talk about each others days. Thanks for not only loving each other but loving Bubby and I unconditionally. Thanks for always working through the small and big stuff that comes through our house. And for showing me to always thank God for everything we have to be thankful for. Thank you for bringing me up in a church and being part of our church family. There is nothing I look forward to most then Sunday's with y'all.

Finally, thank y'all for being y'all. There is no one else who I would want as my parents. Daddy thank you for being strong when we all need strength, for being a softball coach to me for so many years, and for all the talks we have ever had in a deer stand or duck blind. Thank you for showing me how a man should love me and treat me with respect one day and for loving mom. Momma thank you for also being strong when we all need strentgh, for being my go-to on advice, for being my shopping partner, and for encouraging me constantly. Thank you for being my best friend and for movie nights that we have had together, for cheering for me all those years in softball and everything else. Thank you both for being my number one fans in life, and always cheering for me the loudest.

There is so much more I can thank y'all for but one of the main things is thank you for being not only my parents but also my friends. I couldn't imagine doing life without you guys. God knew what He was doing when He made our family.

I love y'all to the moon and back.

Love always,
Your Daughter