Letter to My Parents

Dear Mom and Dad,
During the course of raising 5 kids, I'll bet that you sometimes thought that we'd never really appreciate you until we had kids of our own.  Today I had the same thought about my kids.  Someday they'll understand, someday they'll thank me.  So I guess today is the day that I am feeling grateful for all you've done for me and sorry for all that I didn't understand.

Thank you for the millions of dishes you've washed and the toilet you've scrubbed. Thank you for getting up and getting to work another day no matter how much you wanted to crawl back into bed. Thank you for the times that you said "No thanks, you go ahead and have the last piece."   Even though you hadn't yet had a bite of the dessert.  Thank you for sticking to it and making me do chores even when I was stubborn and unpleasant and you know you could have done it 10 times better on your own.

I'm sorry that I didn't see the many things you did behind the scenes.  I don't think I understood that your  to-do list was forever long.  I didn't know that you tried to balance a million things and felt forever guilty at the ones that you didn't manage to complete. I'm sorry that I failed to notice almost everything you did.  

I'm sorry that I couldn't see you as anything but my parents.  People put on earth to feed me, clothe me, entertain me.  I'm not sure if I really knew that you were... you know.... human too.

Thank you for all the times you prayed for me and worried about me and did everything you could to help me and then for forgiving me when I accused you of "not caring about me."

Thank you for holding family scripture study and family home evening even though lots of times you must have thought that nothing was actually making it into our brains and your head was going to explode if you had to listen to any more fighting.

Thank you for taking us on camping trips and helping us to create great memories.  Taking a family of 7 camping couldn't have been much of a vacation for you.  Did you ever long for a vacation after taking us all on a vacation?

I'm sorry that I thought you were old and out of touch with kids today.  I thought I knew more than you.  Ha.  I really did think that for awhile didn't I?

Thank you for every time you said "no" even when every other parent in the world was saying "yes".

Thanks for raising me in such a way that I wanted to have a family too.

Thanks Mom and Dad.  It's time I admit it... you were right after all.

Love, Me