dadlee and patmom

Monday, September 16: Write a public love letter to someone in your life.

Dear Mom and Dad -

Just a quick (public) note of thanks.  I know now that I hit the jackpot when God decided I got to be YOUR daughter.  It's like I was in line to be assigned to a family and happened to be in the right place at the right time...... "As a special treat for being the 1 billionth baby this year, you get to be born to Lee and Patti!"  (insert confetti falling and angels blowing on noise-makers.)

Thank you for hiding our Easter baskets and making every holiday magical.

Thank you for pretending not to see my light on at night and letting me get lost in books.

Thank you, dad, for making me look every. single. thing. up in the encyclopedia.

Thank you, mom, for singing me to sleep when I was sick.  (and crushing my aspirin in milk or OJ when I couldn't swallow it.)

Thank you for making us eat together as a family every night, not allowing phone calls during dinner, and making us say "May I please be excused?" when we were done.

Thank you for making me wear that stupid back brace for my scoliosis and thank you for looking the other way when I just COULDN'T wear it to an event for fear that I'd be a social pariah. 

Thank you for finding money to bail me out when my bank account was $800 overdrawn.

Thank you for racking up credit card bills that you knew would take forever to pay off just so that we could travel and see our relatives. (Who knew I would get sentimental every time I pass a KOA kampground?)

Thank you for not looking at me with complete shock when I said I was going to try out for cheerleading.

Thank you for letting me wear my ridiculously short skirts but registering your displeasure nonetheless. ("The boys will definitely respect you for your mind when you're wearing THAT.....)

Thank you for giving me the freedom I "needed" and encouraging me to go ahead and live in the dorm even though college was only 15 miles from your house.

Thank you for being proud of my career path and reminding me to never say I am JUST a teacher.

Thank you for understanding when I decided I was going to try to make my way in the "big city," miles away from family.  

Let's be real - I could (and should) go on and on.  But instead, I will just thank you for being parents that I could never thank enough.  For being parents I am so proud to call my own. 

As you so poetically stated in my senior yearbook, " I thank my God every time I think of you." (Phil 1:3) It is my turn to say "ditto."  I hope you know how much you are loved and what a great job you've done from our perspective.   

All my love,
Your little lamb