Dear Mom and Dad,

As the times comes for me to leave you to go to college, I wanted to let you know important you are to me and how much I value you in my life. Nothing makes me realize how lucky I am to have you then going off to college when I won't be able to see you for such a long time and have to somehow manage to live on my own without you.

Thank you for having bountiful patience with me even when I made it so difficult. Thank you for educating me and instilling in me proper manners growing up. Thank you for always supporting me and believing in my aspirations. Thank you for encouraging me to do what's best for myself but also allowing me the room to make mistakes and grow from them. Thank you for always being there for me and through actions, making me aware that you always will be. Thank you for your endless, unconditional love that only a parent could have.

You do so much, make so many sacrifices, and I know that there are many times that you feel like all your hard work and love are taken for granted. Honestly, a lot of the time it is taken for granted, and I want to apologize for that. You deserve to know on a daily basis how much I appreciate you and what you do for me and, unfortunately, it doesn't really happen on a day to day basis. Despite that, I don't want you to think that I don't realize I should be doing it more because you deserve it to be given more. It's just that a lot of the times us children are too wrapped up in our own lives to realize that we're living those lives thanks to you. So for that, I'm sorry.

The truth is, I don't know where I would be without you. Without you pushing me to my full potential and encouraging me to never give up. You were my rocks, there when I always needed you. You're still my rocks. The first people I tell when anything exciting or new happens in my life. The ones I turn to when I have a problem I don't know how to fix on my own. Where would I be now if you weren't there to show me that it's okay to be uncertain in life, as long as you keep pushing through?

I'd like to say, I turned out an amazing person. Without a doubt, I know that all of that is thanks to you. I wouldn't even be half the person I am today if it weren't for you. You have shaped who I am and who I will end up becoming. Because of you, I can be confident in myself and my abilities going into this scary world. You raised me well, and now I'm prepared for whatever life throws at me. Because even if I can't handle it alone, I know I'll always have you to help me.

I love you both with every fiber of my being.

Thank you for everything, now and always,
Your grown-up child.