Dear Mom and Dad,

I hope that this decade has treated you well. I hope that you two are now retired, and Dad – try to enjoy traveling more. Take care of Mom, and I hope you two are able to see all of the places in the world you’ve ever dreamed of seeing. There’s a song, “House of Gold” by Twenty One Pilots that describes how I feel. I’ll work hard this decade, and I hope you two will be proud of me. I’ll take care of Austin. Don’t worry about us. Take a break. I’ll buy you two a house of gold; I’ll make you two the King and Queen of the world; I’ll put you two on the map. I’ll do anything for you two.

More than anything, I hope you two are in good health. I can’t bear the thought of a future without you two. I’m still just a child at heart, trying and pretending to be an adult who’s ready to take on the world alone. But in reality, I’m not. Dad, I hope you stop smoking. Mom, stay active, and bring Dad with you when you go on walks. I hope you two have many more years ahead of yourselves; more years that I selfishly want you two to have to spend with me.

I hope you two are happy and life is interesting and full of joys. Mom, I hope you’re doing all kinds of different hobbies and I hope you’re able to drag Dad out of the house every once in a while. I’ll do my best to try to call you two everyday; I even got you two a Portal so that we can conveniently call and in high definition.

I know that this past decade was difficult for us, and there was a lot of loss and sadness, but somewhere from those ashes of deep grief and hurt, we’re closer than we’ve ever been. We’re a strong family, and I know many others who are envious of what I have.

Thank you two for everything you’ve done for me. Everything that I am is from you two – you’ve given me everything and taken care of me so thoroughly and deeply, that it’s difficult for anybody in the world to even come close to the dedication you two have shown me.

I really love you two more than anything else in this world. I know I tend to just go off on my own and am a fairly independent child, but I am always thinking about you two. And am always full of love and gratitude for you two.

Cheers to this next decade.

Love,

Grace