Thank you for being my parents. 

I know I should write more thank you letters, since you gave me a book a few years ago on how to write thank you notes I took one look at and probably stored on my bookshelf ever since with nary a peek inside. Without that, though, let me freestyle this thank you letter a bit and tell you, despite some assertions to the contrary, that I think you did pretty darn good. 

I know I probably haven't ever said that before, but, in my 30 something years on this planet, I've only now started to understand that you truly did magnificent work at one of the most thankless jobs ever imagined. Not the most thankless, I hope (see above). Sure we had our differences, and still do. But we deal and maintain and work through (or try to) and that's part of any good relationship. 

On the phone earlier a mention of trees had come up and it brought about a memory probably 20 years old about planting a handful of silver maple seeds in the garden. A year later, dad had a heck of a time trying to get them OUT of the garden, and at my childish insistence instead replanted them in a stylish corner garden area instead. I looked up our old house online tonight, and the trees are still there (and the oak you put in a few years later). I smiled as I retold that story, and as I saw they were still gracing that backyard. So much had changed there--the old dirt lot was now a school, more houses, a lake you were a huge part of getting in place, but yeah, those trees made me smile more than any of it. Thank you occasionally for gratifying the whims of a kid. 

We moved a couple years later and teenage rioting brought about more trouble than I was probably worth, but you persevered and maintained and in the end finally (and rightfully) kicked my ass out when I was too much trouble. Despite all the horribleness I imparted into your lives as an angry, angsty brat, I learned a lot from you guys and still make use of a great deal of it today, even if sometimes that's just for fun stories to tell friends. 

Speaking of that horribleness, I have to say, you can rest assured you'll never know how bad I really was...or wasn't. I know you believed I was an alcoholic or worse, and until I was 19 I somehow managed to abstain from booze and drugs. Shocking, perhaps, but true. The rest, well...I wasn't the good Christian kid all the time. There's been times i've been tempted and those values you managed to instil in my noggin have kicked in and made me choose a less dangerous or terrible path. Close, but not quite. My adult life hasn't been the panacea I imagined at 18, 19, 22, 27 or even 30. Heck I can't say I'm terribly proud of everything that's happened in my life. And it's been hard to know some of the things I've done and been through trouble you as much as they do. And yet, you maintain your love for me, each and every time. 

That's something not everyone gets, or knows, or understands. 

I once told a friend I wanted to be half the father dad's been to me. At this point if I was a quarter as good, I'd be ok with that. You gave me more than I knew, and probably than I know. For that all I can really do is say a measly thank you for putting up with me all this time and not giving up. i Hope you're proud of me for somethings. 

I'm happy that I've been so damn lucky in my life to have you.

I'm happy that despite our differences you're still here. 

I'm happy you've been such a huge influence on my life. 

I'm happy you've been my parents.


Thanks,

Your son.