The Embodiment of Me

Dad and Mom,

I don’t know if it’s possible to explain through words how much you mean to me.  Every moment I spend considering how lucky and fortunate I am, I think about the struggles you endured, the efforts you put forth, and the love you bestowed upon me.  I can’t help but consider myself the luckiest boy in the world.

I’m crying as I write this, and for good reason, as what you have provided me is nothing short of remarkable.  There is not a single day that goes by that you don’t worry about my well-being before your own.

Looking back to my early years, attending Holland Hill Elementary as a young and ecstatic boy, it’s impossible connect the dots to how I made it to where I am today; impossible, that is, if it weren’t for you.  You are my inspiration, my aspiration.

I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been starting up a life with so much uncertainty after finishing high school- but your love for one another sustained you, showcasing the true meaning of companionship.  And of course you persevered, and recognized that every moment you spent worrying about that which you were unsure, was a moment you were prevented from living, and thus one you could never earn back.

As I said earlier, it is not possible to express through words all that you have done for me, and all that you have directly allowed me to experience.  I attended one of the preeminent school districts in the country, the most ambitious-minded university in the world, and have a career that is the envy of any human on this planet.  But there is no “I’ without you, although not in a literal sense, because of your steadfastness and inspirational perseverance. 

As our lives ironically make geographical diversions as our love for one another grows, I can’t help but anticipate, and get excited about, all that we have yet to experience…together.  We will only grow closer and stronger as the Great Plains of the US attempt to separate us.  And yet, as I move to a place I have never known, I can’t help but feel your souls inside of me, perfecting the embodiment of the fact that your efforts and accomplishments have become realized through my dreams, and now realities.  YOU are the ones who provided me this opportunity in an absolute, and direct, sense.  And for that, I am indebted beyond the aggregate riches of this entire world.

Only one set of siblings can truly say they have the best possible parents imaginable, and I am flattered to state that you are worth more to me than the world itself.  Thank you for giving me the hope and inspiration to turn opportunity into reality. 

Love As One Would Never Know,

Jim