Parenting can often feel like an underappreciated endeavor. You find yourself awake at odd hours tending to a sick child, and your reward may just be a surprise mess on your lap. You brave endless hours at chaotic play centers, only to be met with a meltdown on the way out. And when you scour numerous stores for that coveted toy, the response might be, “But I wanted the pink one!”
It’s often said that we truly come to understand our parents once we step into their shoes. While I can’t speak for everyone, I know that my appreciation for my parents blossomed when I became a parent myself. Over the years, there have been countless unspoken acknowledgments. Some are for the obvious sacrifices—like, say, bringing me into this world and providing me with food, clothing, and shelter for 18 years. But others are less visible yet profoundly impactful. Here’s my heartfelt gratitude, Mom and Dad.
- Thank you for rocking me to sleep and soothing my worries night after night because I was that baby who needed comfort.
- Thank you for navigating my many tantrums and high-maintenance demands during my toddler and preschool years.
- Thank you for that epic trek back to the hotel—49 blocks just to retrieve my cherished Strawberry Shortcake doll, which I probably forgot about soon after.
- Thank you for coming to my school multiple times just to dry my tears, all while juggling a newborn and a toddler at home.
- Thank you for enduring countless grocery trips with three whiny kids without ever “forgetting” one of us in the frozen foods section.
- Thank you for those long road trips filled with my incessant “Are we there yet?” and for never actually turning the car around despite your threats.
- Thank you for being the designated driver for me and a van full of friends to Girl Scout meetings, sleepovers, and swim meets.
- Thank you for including us in vacations, knowing full well that the concept of a getaway changes dramatically with kids in tow.
- Thank you for caring for me when I was sick, especially that memorable moment on the snorkeling boat when I, uh, let’s say, had an accident on your lap.
- Thank you for embracing diversity and reminding me endlessly that “the world would be dull if we were all the same.”
- Thank you for getting us that puppy we all pleaded for, even though you ended up doing most of the work caring for it.
- Thank you for surviving the whirlwind of my teenage years.
- Thank you for making me feel beautiful even when I was drowning in frizzy hair and acne while everyone else had opinions on beauty products.
- Thank you for emphasizing that kindness is the ultimate form of beauty.
- Thank you for pretending to be busy with laundry when my best friend shared her secrets in high school.
- Thank you for never saying “I told you so” during my tumultuous “Bad Boyfriend Years.”
- Thank you for waiting until I left for college to get cable. Now I can tell my kids about the days of no TV options!
- Thank you for holding off on central air-conditioning until after I moved out, preparing me for the postnatal night sweats I’d later experience.
- Thank you for instilling a sense of independence in me, raising me as a strong woman whether you knew it or not.
- Thank you for showing me that everyday tasks can hold beauty, and that a simple life can be extraordinary.
- Thank you for sacrificing your own dreams to help me chase mine.
- Thank you for having the courage to admit when you didn’t have all the answers and for navigating the unknown alongside me.
- Thank you for caring for my kids when I was away and assuring me that “everything is fine” while we both know it’s a circus.
- Thank you for loving my children with a depth and warmth that mirrors the love you showed me.
- Thank you for teaching me the true value of a sincere thank you—even if it comes a little late.
I’d like to promise that I’ll be better at expressing my gratitude in the future. However, life tends to sweep us off our feet, and I know I’ll probably forget to acknowledge countless deserving moments. It’s often the ones we love most who end up receiving the least recognition. So, Mom and Dad, consider this my grandest THANK YOU for all you’ve done and will continue to do.
And kids, don’t fret! Winning 1,364 tickets worth of plastic treasures at Chuck E. Cheese’s was more than enough thanks.
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