Growing up, I was always without a parent.

My parents got divorced when I was young and I was passed between them like a basketball each weekend and summer.

Throughout middle school and high school, amidst the chaos of living as a child of divorced parents, I have had great parental figures who have remained constant.

The two people who have helped shaped who I am and always encourage me in my decisions are my phenomenal youth director and his amazing wife.

This letter is for both of you.

There are five main things I want to thank you for.

Of course, there are hundreds of things I want to thank you for, but that would take a lot of work and you both know I do not like hard work.

1. Thank you for your support.

I have had many hard decisions to make and you both have given your advice.

Even if it was not the advice I wanted, you helped lead me in the right direction.

In hard times, I knew both of you would help me with no strings attached, and it is still true to this day.

I know I will always be able to count on both of you for your support, so thank you.

2. Thank you for believing in me.

Both of you have always believed in me, and for that I am forever grateful.

When I moved away and started a new school, you believed I would do great and that I would be OK. Well, you were right.

I know I can do anything I put my mind to and it is because of you.

Mostly, thank you for believing in me when I cannot believe in myself.

3. Thank you for holding me accountable.

I recall clearly that both of you would hold me accountable for wrongdoings, but it was all for a good reason.

Sometimes I was extremely annoyed, but as I look back, I understand why you did it.

You helped me learn from my mistakes and shortcomings.

Thank you for holding me accountable.

4. Thank you for being my parents.

“That is not a good idea” is not really something I like to hear from either of you.

Over the years, both of you have become my second parents.

You both worried about me in hard times, praised me when I did well, and were disappointed in me when I did wrong.

Thank you for being my parents when I needed guidance.

5. Thank you for loving me.

Lastly, thank you for loving me.

Both of you have only ever surrounded me with love, something that was hard to find at home.

Thank you for buying me lunch, taking me home, laughing with (or at) me, supporting me, and being there for me.

Senior year is hectic and, as I am about to start college in the fall, I remember both of you for guiding me to where I am today.

I know I moved away and we do not see each other often, but I wanted to make it clear that you are appreciated and loved.

Thank you so much for being my second parents.