3: To My Parents

A letter to my parents

Day 3 — Your parents

Dear Mom and Dad,

I cannot express the amount of respect, admiration, and gratitude I have for you both. Two of the stars in my tattoo are representative of you, and that is for a good reason. You are my guiding lights in the dark, as corny as it may sound.

You both taught me from a very early age to be clear in my communication with others, and to stand my ground when it was warranted. You taught me to listen, and to always consider the various viewpoints of a situation. You taught me to forgive. You taught me to think. You taught me to love.

Dad – You’re the quiet one. The contemplative one. I am so much like you in personality, it’s scary. I can’t remember you ever yelling at me, and I can’t remember you ever being “chatty.” But there were a few moments where you made statements that were so impactful, I don’t think I’ll ever forget them. One of those times was when I was in grade school and you told me “You can’t always believe what your teachers or the media say. You have think for yourself, R. If it doesn’t make sense to you, do your research. Don’t take what you’re told at face value.”

Another moment I remember is when I decided to leave my ex. I came home, late at night, in tears. My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest, and I didn’t know up from down. You poured me a cup of coffee with Kahlua, and we all sat around the table. I probably blabbered on a bit, and then got quiet. You told me that night, “I know it hurts, R. And it will hurt, badly. But eventually, that hurt will fade. You will be okay.” That statement was exactly what I needed. Straight to the point, honest, and hopeful.

Thank you for being there for me when I needed you to, and for not being there when I needed to stand on my own. Thank you for making me laugh.

Mom – you’re the loud one :). In a good way, of course. We had our ups and downs when I was younger. You told me “I give up on you!” countless times. But over the last several years we have grown closer and I really love that. I truly enjoy the times I have come to visit you and we’ve eaten breakfast, gone shopping, out for dinner, then come back to the RV to have coffee and talk for hours. Those times are the best :).

Thank you for listening.

<span style="font-family:

Bookman Old Style”>To both of you… you are my parents, and always will be. I will always be that little girl to you – the one with pink bows in her pigtails, big brown eyes, and lots of questions. Thank you for raising that girl into a woman who is proud of who she is and where she came from.

I would not have turned out to be the person I am today without both of you supporting me emotionally, spiritually, and monetarily sometimes 😉 along the way.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo