Thanks Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad,

Where to start, well I suppose I should explain this letter is typed because I couldn’t write the amount of words that are going to come out down without hurting myself nor could I keep up with my mind. Oh and don’t cry either.

No this letter is not some psychological break through, crazy enough to believe especially considering the words that are about to be said (don’t worry its good stuff, I promise (yeah I do lie a lot, but I really am not here)).

Second warning, this is not well edited so Dad don’t take your fine tooth come through this letter it’ll get stuck on the first line.

Third warning, you’re probably going to want to pull this out from time to time, and I suppose you can but remember that I may or may not appreciate that but whatever that’s your life choice.

Okay here’s the meat and potatoes if you take one thing, well actually I’d appreciate it if you took more than one thing, so here’s my bullet points.

·       You can be right approximately 99.99999% of the time. (I was going to say you’re right, but I’m afraid you might take that as me saying you’re always right, two very very different things. I am still your daughter so I can’t admit that you’re always right yet). That .000001% of the time that I disagree with you and turn out be right matters though okay.
·         Stop worrying. You’re friggen parents of the year already okay. I think we can stop with the stupid ER/ICU/Doctor visits and just call you parents of the lifetime. Despite how much I might of f’ed up (yes that is fudged, I am an angel). You’re amazing.
·         I am grateful for every second that you have poured into my life whether that be through thought, or actual time. No matter what I have said in the past lets just unring those little bells and ring the big ben clock so you hear me. I love you. I am grateful. I am the luckiest kiddo in the world to have not only you for parents, but to have had the incredible family that I have.

·         I’m going to screw up again. I probably already have and you’re just waiting to tell me or waiting to find out, but forgive me please. You’ve got 30-35 years on me and its just not fair because I want to be as smart and as amazing as you and even more so.
·         Thank you. That’s as simple as it gets. Thank you for the effort you have put into me and my life and my sister’s life.

• ·         Oh that’s the last thing. Rachel and I are no longer “teen” power, we’re “young adult” power. Watch out. Now that we really not only get along but truly see the value in each other, well lets just say the tramp stamps are not the only thing we’re going to work together on for mutual benefit.
• ·         Oh one more thing. I will gladly take care of you in your old age, but I’m totally going to be just as a pain of a but you are to me if you get alzheimers. Just saying so that we’re clear. I also charge at least 12$ an hour for any caregiving, but don’t worry I owe you a lot more than what you’ll spend on me so we can call it even.

Okay so yes this letter so is not organized, but that’s my brain and well you two made that life choice 21+give or take years and months ago to have me and well I’m what you have.

I know its taken you 40 years to get me to age 20, but I couldn’t be more grateful that it took so long because that means I got 40 years of life with you and if theres anything I’ve learned in the past 20 ½ years its life is short. Love every moment that you have even if it means loving the fact that you can hate the moment that you’re in.

I sure hope my kids are easy, or at least I hope that they have you around for grandparents because I can’t do what you have done alone at all.

I wouldn’t trade the world for any other situation if it meant I didn’t have the gratitude and love for the family and life that I have.

Thank you for letting me be stubborn, independent, tenacious, or whatever word we’ve called it besides
brat well and brat just so that’d I would make it to this point in my life and realize how much I have been given by whoever is in charge of this world (steelers, or god, whatever you pick I’m grateful). Thank you for fighting for me no matter the cost and thank you for stepping back and taking care of yourselves so that you could continue to fight for me later on.

Thank you for never giving up on each other and showing me what love looks like no matter what you go through or how much growing you have done.

Thank you for teaching me to always love my sister, even if that comes in “love” bites. Lets be honest we’re all happy I outgrew the biting phase (life could be worse ya know?). I will always be grateful for every moment I have ever spent with her and I am grateful to have become an older sister in some ways but more importantly to recognize how much I can learn from her. Thank you for making me say sorry to her (I don’t actually remember this but I’m guessing it occurred, even if it occurred with an eye roll), because I actually am sorry for anything that I ever did that would harm my sister. I promise no matter what I will always look after her as my sister (so good luck with the parenting crap cause we’re not easy and I ain’t trying to help anymore).

Thank you for never ever telling me no to my dreams. Thank you for telling me some things aren’t possible so I could prove you wrong, though I’ve learned I don’t always have to do this and its totally okay for me to listen to you every once in awhile.

Thank you for standing up for me when others have tried to put me down.

Thank you for pushing me to be the best human I can possibly be and encouraging me to have the heart for others that I have.

Thank you for teaching me how to laugh in the face of fear and struggles because its made life a lot easier.

Thank you for giving to others more than what we thought we could give whether that be friends who need a meal or the biannual fundraisers that you indulged in.  Oh and thanks for shaving your heads too. I don’t know many families that can say they all shaved their heads for kids cancer research but no kids in their family had cancer prior to doing so.

If I thanked you for everything there wouldn’t be any reason for you to listen to me anymore so this is where the letter ends. And its late. And I’m tired.

I guess it all comes down to if this was the end it’d be a happily ever after, so it’s a good thing that we have a lot of years left ahead of us until I turn 40. Good luck. Maybe the next 40 years will be a little easier now that we’re closer in the pages we’re on in the book of life.

Love you both. Don’t forget I’m still 20 so this doesn’t change everything. I still have sass to give and lots to learn.

Xoxoxo

juju