I am thankful for the two wonderful people who raised me into the person I am today. Through kind gestures, “funny” dad jokes, empowering advice, patience, and most importantly, love, the life I’ve lived until now has been better than a dream. 

My mother, with a voice as sweet as honey and the purest soul, alongside my sympathetic and nurturing father have been there to listen to it all: the drama, frustration, sadness, hopes and dreams, and the kinds of decisions I’ve made when I thought I knew how life works. After wiping away my tears and giving me tea, they have given me advice with concern for my health and future, and helped me think differently by opening my eyes to a more positive perspective. 

I like to describe my mother as a delicate flower when it has just bloomed, and my father as a vibrant plant. One of my favorite things about my mother is how kind-hearted she is and how she is always trying to be understanding. Along with my father, my hero, who is always one phone call away and always makes a joke to make me smile, despite the situation I may face. 

Growing up as a daughter of these two special adults, I have learned and understood more of the world than I could ever imagine. I have learned to be strong in my emotions and in life in general, how to communicate with and respect those around me, and I have understood that life is a process of progress, and progress only happens when you make the first move. Without my father’s two-hour life lessons and my mother’s stories of herself as a teenager—indicating that she knows exactly what I may be feeling at the moment—I wouldn’t be as mature and prepared as I am today. 

Everything I have to this day is because of them: from the delicious meals on the table to the comfortable bed I get to rest on every night. I have a roof over my head in a city that has a good school district, I have a closet with a variety of clean clothes to choose from, important necessities for school work or other responsibilities, and most importantly, I am as healthy as I should be. All of this is because of their dedication and desire for my well-being. 

As a daughter, I can say that having these parents has been a blessing. I don’t know where I’d be without them. I would be lost, as lousy as a sloth, too slow to even think of the things I have to do. They have given me nothing but pure love and unconditional care, and I am more than grateful for this special gift.