mom and dad--i did it! i couldn't wait to get home and take this picture so i could tell you i finally did it. who would have that that 3 year old girl with messy hair who loved a bug's life and going on dates to taco bell with her dad would be here, getting accepted to grad school? i sure didn't. i have been planning on doing this for a while, depending on if i got accepted or not, and i hope i do it justice.
i remember my first days of pre-school vaguely. i remember 2 things pretty clearly though--i had an elephant lunchbox and i sure as heck didn't want to leave my parents to go to this thing called school. i remember kindergarten and being excited about becoming a "big girl" but hated (absolutely hated) being separated from the most loving humans i had known. and i remember being dropped off at college, and let me tell you--that was the worst. i can promise you that i missed you and needed you more than you missed and needed me. but i also knew i needed to go out on my own and grow into who y'all taught me to be.
who exactly did you teach me to be?
i'll start with mom. mom, you taught me that loving people is the single most important thing in life. thank you for being such a great example of love in the form of acts of service. you continually put yourself last to serve others and do things for others, especially your kids. not many moms would sit in 5 hours of traffic to watch her daughters boyfriend of 3 months play soccer in the next state over. you never questioned what i wanted. not that you gave me everything i demanded from you, but goodness gracious you gave me your service. and from you, i learned to do the same. i learned that putting someone's favorite candy in their pillow after they have had a hard day can really make a difference.
dad, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that i got my sense of humor from you. my ability to be silly and laugh at even the hardest situations is such a gift from you. i don't take myself and my circumstances too seriously (in the best way) and i have you to thank for that. you are witty and funny but you have also shown me so much guidance. when things were bad in high school and friends were being awful to me, you reminded me that those feelings weren't from the lord, but they were from the enemy. i will never forget when you said that as we were passing cracker barrel--i still remind myself of those words to this day.
because of you two and your ENORMOUS love for me, i was able to achieve this. thank you thank you thank you. for your guidance, support, and love through everything.
part of me is sad i can never be that messy-haired little girl with an elephant lunch box anymore. but knowing the two best parents in the whole world are behind me and with me eery step of my life makes life and big decisions so much easier. i love making you two proud, those are my favorite moments in life. i don't know if i will ever be able to express to y'all how great of parent you are, but hopefully this gives you an idea. i did this for myself, but i also did it for you. and you helped me every step of the way. i love you forever and ever and ever.
love,
your little hokie.
