Thank you!

How do you thank your parents for all they have done for you? I don't think you truly know how much your parents love you or how much they sacrifice for you until you have a child yourself and know just how deep the love goes.
My dad had a big scary heath issue last week. Thankfully he is back home and doing great but the week he was in ICU was terrible. The entire time I just couldn't stop thinking that I still want to be his daughter. I know I always will be, but I rely on my parents for advice, love, support etc. and I am not in the least ready to give that up. He was so heavily sedated that he would try and say things with his respirator tube in his mouth. He couldn't make any sounds so we were just trying to lip read. It was so hard to understand him and SO frustrating for him, but thankfully he doesn't remember any of that. The one thing he 'mouthed' that came out loud and clear was "I love you too".

You always know your parents do love you but when you look back you can really see it. My mom putting little notes in my lunch for me to find in elementary school. Having caramel apples waiting for us when we got home from school. Sending me letters before I went to camp so I would have mail on the first day. Having a family dinner EVERY night even when she worked full-time. Hiding notes in work folder as an adult telling me how much she appreciates me. I remember my dad picking me up from school early so we could watch John in a soccer game. I felt so cool. He helped me pick out a dress for our Homecoming dance and once nearly chopped his finger off creating sets for my dance team shows. He drove me to Taffy's Restaurant and waited in the car while I applied and got my first job as a hostess / waitress. It's really not the big things that stick in our heads as memories but the every day moments that mean so much.

My parents worked so hard to ensure us kids had everything we needed. "Everything" changes depending on the circumstances for sure. When we were younger during the good years 'everything' was learning to ski, art classes and soccer leagues etc. During those couple lean years 'everything' was totally different but exactly what we needed as well. My parents focused what they could on education and gave up things for themselves such as golf clubs and vacations. I don't think I ever thanked them for coming through on the other side of those lean years as such great people, such an amazing couple and such great examples of how to fight for what's right and for what you love. Thank you.

One of the doctors in the hospital called John and I "kids" and not in a good way (we were being advocates!). He's right of course, we are kids. Everyone is someone's kid and parents never stop that fierce love just because their kid has kids of his/her own. My parents ached for me when Luke got diagnosed and celebrated with me when Bennett gave us his first big smile. (They even have the message I left with the smile news still on their answering machine!). They continue to give us 'everything' we need now as well. They love our kids, they love our spouses and the love being with us.

So thank you Mom and Dad. Thank you for caramel apples, soccer games, tuna on toast, homecoming dresses, flowers on valentine's day, photo albums, economics at the kitchen table, heart shaped cookies, Eaglette sets, driving me to Vandy when I was a senior in highschool, notes in my lunch, strawberry short cake underwear, table soccer games and family dinners. Thank you for doing all those small things that really show someone how much you care.