Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me. Thank you for all that you've taught me. Thank you for making me who I am today.

Mom, thank you for teaching me to have a backbone. You taught me to not let people walk all over me. You taught me how I deserve to be treated and to not let anyone treat me any differently than that. You never accepted anything less than you deserved, and you made sure that I didn't either. To this day, you still constantly encourage me to stand up for what I believe in and not bite back my tongue when it matters. Thank you.

Dad, thank you for showing me how a man should love a woman. You love my mother more than anything in this world, and there isn't a single thing you wouldn't do for her. I have never ever heard you refer to her as 'a ball and chain' or ever made it seem like being married to her as a hassle. You treated her with the utmost respect and loved her in a way anybody would be envious of. Because of you, I know exactly how a man should treat me and know I should never settle.

Thank you both for being there for me. You guys were there for everything. From my best days to my worst days. You guys have supported me through it all. You guys supported my decision to move a thousand miles away from home, and you've always let me know just how proud you were of me.

Thank's for putting up with how weird I am. From my random screetches, to the fact that sometimes I just randomly stare at you for no real reason. I know I'm a weirdo. But you guys created this weirdo.

Thank you for having me grow up watching classic '80s movies that always end with the guy getting the girl, or the hero defeating the bad guy. They gave me hope in that as long as you push forward and persist, it'll all be worth it in the end.

Thanks for letting me do whatever I wanted with my hair. That being my biggest form of expression growing up, it boosted my confidence and dared me to push the boundaries.

Thanks for letting me keep my pet Beta, Fredrick, even though I bought it even when you said no, and kept him a secret from you for over a year. And thank you for raising me in a way that made buying a fish without your permission the most rebellious thing I've ever done.

Thank you for showing me unconditional love. Never once have you shown me anything but that.

Thanks for showing me how important family is. I know that no matter what you guys will always have my back.

Thanks for raising me in a faith I have grown to love. It has brought me so much joy, even in my darkest of times.

Thank you for literally everything, and much, much more.

Sincerely,

Strawbird.