This one is a bit more personal, bear with me here.
Anyway, I am proud of my upbringing. It was not perfect by any means, but it taught me a whole lot. And now, a tribute of sorts to my parents and siblings. Think of this as a public thank-you note, because my family is great, and they deserve to know it, as we all do.
Dad,
Thank you for giving me your love of classic rock music. I am so happy when I know the name of a song, and the band, and people are shocked that I know "music beyond my years". You've given me your hard work ethic, even though I still haven't learned the concept of "working smart and not hard". You've taught me to always be polite, and to treat everyone with respect, no matter what their profession or livelihood is. You've taught me to be responsible for my actions, and that honesty truly is the best policy (after telling that I wouldn't have gotten in so much trouble if I hadn't lied 😋). And thank you for giving me a loud voice, and showing me the importance of eye contact, because it has helped me out more than a few times. I am appreciative of all of this, and I feel like I don't tell you nearly enough. So thank you, and I love ya.
Mom,
Thank you for giving me your open mind, and for showing me that everyone is good, even if it's very far deep down sometimes. You've helped me to keep hold of my little-kid self, and that is sometimes my favorite part of myself. Thank you for helping me to be strong, because I think of all that you've been through, and I remind myself that I can get through this. Thank you for being so strong in your faith, because that has helped me to be strong in my faith, even though I'm still trying to find my way, and probably always will be trying. Thank you for being my mom, and when people tell me that I look like you, I do take that as a compliment, because you are beautiful inside and out, and I am happy to be your doppelganger. 😊 I love ya.
Chris,
What is there to say? You've been my best friend since I was four, and I've learned a whole heck of a lot from you. Like Mom, I've learned to importance of keeping my little kid self, and not being afraid of imagining more. You've always been strong in your faith too, and I admire that about you, because I've been drifting more than a little. You're not content with just knowing what you know, you're always looking into different viewpoints, trying to understand the other side. Thanks for putting up with my dramatics over the years, even if sometimes you've just shrugged me off. We've laughed so hard I've started crying I don't know how many times, and I'm grateful for that. You also give the best hugs, even though you got really freaking tall, and I'm not okay with that. Keep doing great at school, and do us (and George Lucas) proud. I love ya.
Sara,
I miss you, and wish I could be there for you during your first year at West. But you're stronger than you think, and you can and will get through this. Keep up your sassiness and sarcasm, and, even though you're just like me and will never admit it, you're gorgeous and I wish you'd believe it. I'm here for you, even if I may be 10 hours away. I miss our late night chats, even though they can still totally happen, and I miss laughing so hard at a misunderstood word that we couldn't breathe. Keep up your hilarious facial expressions, and take full advantage of your group of friends. I love you Sar, and you've been the best roommate ever, even if you made me sleep with the lights on half the time. 😋. Keep up being the coolest (and realest) 15 year old.
Love you all always,
Helena 😎
<3
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