Dear Mom and Dad: Happy Anniversary

Dear Mom and Dad,

You guys have both taught me a lot over my nineteen, almost twenty years of life. From walking and talking, to homeschooling, to relationships, to living. There is so much that you have both given me, and I want to return the favour. How, you ask? Simple. I will answer one question for you: what is love?

It is the patience you had with me as a baby. Waking every two hours with glass-shattering screams just so you would hold me.

It is the time you took to hide toys around every corner for me to find while trying to finish the housework.

It is taking me out to different activities to push me into social circles, and encouraging me to make friends with the girls around.

It is freezing in the cold Canadian winters just to spend the afternoon tobogganing.

It is the Dr. Seuss books you read to me. Or just trying to fumble your way through Fox in Socks.

It is all the lessons you taught me... math, grammar, Latin, science, art, music, "home ec", "gym", yea...

It is every night you dragged me out to church, no matter how much I didn't want to go.

It is every time you gave me a hug goodnight.

It is every time you gave me a hug to make me feel better.

It is every time you gave me a hug just because.

It is how you kept secrets from me, for protection.

It is how you told me secrets, to trust me.

It is every meal you cooked for me.

It is every time you put up with my complaining about said food.

It is every time you corrected me.

It is every time you said, "no".

It is everything you ever gave to me.

It is everything you didn't.

It is renting a movie for the night to just relax.

It is bringing me a snack for the movie, just because.

It is every moody day and night you rode through with me as a teenager.

It is each time you asked me what's wrong.

It is the never ending curfew implemented to make sure I'm home on time and ok.

It is going through my halloween candy every year and taking the best stuff out.

It is walking me to school so I don't have to walk by myself.

It is making me do things I don't want to do, but really really should.

It is coming to my graduation.

It is supporting me in the things I am passionate about, despite the fact that I get hurt... a lot....

It is every injury I had that you kissed better.

It is letting me make my own choices.

It is letting me make my own mistakes... even though you really, really, really want to stop me.

It is letting me cry on your shoulder when I'm heartbroken.

It is laughing together about random jokes (or name pronunciation)

It is enjoying a cool autumn walk.

It is pushing through the trying years, through thick and thin, no matter what.

It is becoming a family again.

It is following through.

It is staying together for 23 years

It is having a child together... then having the guts to have another - eighteen years later.

It is, in the midst of our hectic, crazy, out of control lives, still being able to say, "I love you" and mean it.

There are so many things that love encompasses. So many words and actions that represent it. And so many times it still doesn't work. Couples still separate, families still break apart; "till death do us part" apparently doesn't mean anything any more. But, mom and dad, whatever you guys did way back when, you did it right.

Well I posted this to my parents facebook pages this morning... I came downstairs and mom gave me a huge hug, but didn't really say much. Then she looked at me and said, "We did not take out the best stuff!" LOL mom.

This is what they said on facebook this afternoon: "Better than a card....and we did not take the best stuff out, just whatever leaked air! <3 <3 <3 we did it all just for you:) and would do it again!"

Love you Mom and Dad!!! XoX