I want to say thanks for helping me to get this far. There’s absolutely no way I could have done it without your constant support and encouragement. You were there when I succeeded and who offered constructive criticism when I failed. You were the ones who stayed up with me when I had mountains of homework, who drove me to and from school, sports, and birthday parties.
You were with me through the little-kid years, the middle school years, and the high school years. You’ve done everything for me and never asked for anything in return, and I can’t even begin to express my gratitude. You’re doing the hardest thing parents can do; you’re letting me go.
The fact that I’m following God’s calling is a source of pride. You’ve raised a child who is grounded in faith and ready to share the love of God with the world.
There are some things I want to say to you that will hopefully assuage your doubts and convince you that everything will be alright.
I want you to have faith in what you’ve taught me. Promise me you’ll have fun! Go out on dates, have nights with your friends, join a support community. I want to know that you’re happy, too. And take plenty of pictures so you can tell me all about your awesome experiences when I come home.
Remember that I love you, now and forever, and I’ll miss you very much. This might be the end of one era, but it’s also the beginning of a new one. And this new era is about to be even better than the last. You are the strongest people in my life and without a doubt the wisest people I’ve ever come across. The compassion that you show me is priceless in the way that you always seek the best in me no matter how dark the situation may be. You’ve made my childhood the best that it could have ever been and as I get older, it’s easier to realize how lucky I am to have been brought up by such remarkable people. I take you guys for granted so often and I do apologize for that because without you I’d be nothing. Thank you both so much for everything you do and how you continuously change my life for the better every day.
