Dear Mom and Dad,
This is a letter of gratitude for you and your investments in my life. I miss you a lot, but I’m so grateful for your trust in the Lord, letting me go on this whirlwind journey across the world. Truly, your sacrifice is a testament to your faith.
Mom and Dad, you have made me into the person I am today. You have blessed me with incredible opportunities to flourish in life, sending me to private school, praying for me, raising me in church, paying for college and encouraging me in every way.
Thank you for taking me seriously when I was little, when my problems may have seemed trivial. Thank you for attending every fine arts performance I’ve ever had – I’m sure some of them had to be pretty painful (shout out to sixth grade band).
Thank you for visiting me in college. I’m grateful that we share an alma mater and a love for Oklahoma State University.
You both have great senses of humor and have taught me to appreciate wit, good jokes, and silliness.
Mom, I’m thankful for the way you have listened to me my entire life. You remember my friends, you remember my heart, and you remember the details that I never tell anyone else. You are always interested in my life, the people I meet, and the friends I make. All the times I would come home to clean sheets after spending the night at a friend’s house, the times you did my laundry when I was in college, and the times we spend debriefing exciting evenings show me how much you love me.
You always go the extra mile in thoughtfulness, from baking cookies for me to encouraging me in my artwork in high school to helping me prepare for the World Race. Thank you for challenging me to always strive for the best.
Some of my favorite afternoons from college are the times you came to Stillwater on a whim after visiting Oklahoma City. I loved skipping class to hang out with you.
Thanks for taking me to the flea market. I love your artistic eye and your appreciation of all things vintage.
I love your heart for others. You are nurturing because you want the best for everyone. You see things that need to be fixed, and you do not hesitate to fix them.
I love that all my friends like you. You are a wonderful hostess and a cool mom. You have always been one of my closest friends.
Thanks for teaching me about money and making sure I know how to manage it (even though I still don’t balance my checkbook. You get a gold star for trying to make me do it.)
You are an amazing mom, and you have shaped me into the woman I am today.
Dad, I’m thankful for the way you have always taken care of me. You value my heart.
Thank you for taking me on dates from the time I was a toddler until now. Thanks for listening objectively and helping me solve problems. You are an amazing spiritual leader, and I value your wisdom tremendously.
I love how we’ve grown even closer in the past few years, spending time talking about missions and the World Race, seeing action movies together, and working on house projects. Thanks for taking care of our family. You make sure we have nice things that work the way we want them to. Thank you for teaching me how to hammer a nail and change a tire (even though you still do it for me if I ask).
Thanks for praying with me every night as a child, even when I had the same prayer requests every night for three years.
Thank you for watching all three Anne of Green Gables movies with me that one time a couple years ago. I still think about that sometimes.
Thanks for buying me flowers every year that I didn’t have a Valentine, and even the ones I did, and thanks for sending me cards at college.
Dad, you are so intentional in loving me, and I will always be grateful that you’ve protected me and given me a heart that is whole.
Your love for me and our family is a demonstration of how Christ loves the church, and I know the love of the Heavenly Father because of the way you love me.
Mom and Dad, I love you beyond words, and I will never be able to thank you for everything you have given me. I really couldn’t have asked for any better advantage in life than to have you both as my parents.
Merry Christmas from Cambodia!
Love, BreAnna
