A Letter To My Parents As I Leave For College

Mom and Dad,

It’s crazy to think this time has come. In a short few months, I will be in a completely different town then you. I won’t see you guys everyday, I won’t be home when you walk in from work, you won’t get to hear my voice yell for the dog every two seconds. I’m nervous and I know you are too, but I’m ready. You guys have taught me so much and prepared me for the moment that I leave the nest, and my time has come.

You taught me to be open-minded.

And you guys taught me in many ways that being open-minded is the only way to live your life and be content with every decision you make. You’ve shown me to understand that no one is going to think exactly like me 100% of the time and that’s a good thing. This lesson has gotten me through high school, and now reflecting on my time there I don’t regret a thing. I wouldn’t go back and change anything, and that is how I plan to be in college. I’ll fall in love with the boy, take the class that interests me, be friends with someone I never thought I could be friends with. I will live my college years open-minded. Starting with Destination Iowa State, I will meet so many different people and soak in every minute of it.

You taught me to be strong and independent.

Through my years with you guys, you guys have always encouraged me to be my own person and to stick to what I believe. You guys have been great examples of this in my life, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for instilling this in me. You guys have shown me to be strong in my word, if I believe in something I should stand up for it, that I don’t need to follow anyone else in life.

You’ve always told me to be a leader and not a follower, and I can assure you I will be a leader in college. I’m not going to college for anyone but myself, and that is the way I’m going to see it. I’m going to do what I know is morally right, stand up for my beliefs, and be my own person. But most importantly, I’m going to take pride in being my own person.

You’ve taught me that change is good and also inevitable.

Change can be such a scary thing, and honestly I am scared for next year and you guys are too. But one thing we both knew, there was no way we could slow down time. You guys have been thrown curve balls in life so many times, and watching how you guys handle the situation has been such a great learning experience. You guys have shown me that you have the choice of making the best out of bad situations and I promise I will carry that on through the rest of my life. Moving from our home to a small dorm in Eaton Hall is going to be a big change, but guys I am ready.

You’ve shown me what it’s like to work for things in life.

One way you guys differed from many parents I’ve met is that you made work for things I wanted, you didn’t just hand them to me. You guys spoiled us a ton, but never too much to where we would grow up and expect people to just hand us things we wanted. You encouraged me to have a job throughout high school and you’ve helped me through situations within those jobs. You’ve always encouraged good grades and pushed me to be a better student, but never too hard. The ethic of hard work is something I will always value and have (hopefully through Econ 101, but no promises) thanks to you.

You’ve taught me to follow my dreams.

You have always supported my dreams and goals in my life. Going to orientation for ISU, you guys pushed me to better my dreams and do as much as possible to reach those goals. You encouraged me to take Psych 101 even though I’m a business major. You encouraged me to join a BLT (Business Learning Team) so I could get to know people faster and have people to fall back on when our work load gets big or confusing. And you told me that my majors were smart majors because they could take me anywhere I wanted to go in life.

Sitting in the Gerdin Building with you was just the beginning of my opportunities to meet the goals and dreams we both have. Mom, you opened your own business and showed me how difficult it will be, but also showed me how successful it could be if I put in the work. Dad, you’ve always been there to back me up and be the level headed voice when it came to goals I set for myself.

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But the most important thing you taught me is that I always have home to come back to.

You guys have always been loving, supportive, fun, and stern, everything I could’ve asked for in parents. You’ve shown me what it is like to maintain a healthy family, and work on it when things in the household aren’t so healthy. You guys have always been more than willing to take in my friends or people who are in need of a home and a family. You guys have always reassured me that I am loved through the rough times and the good times. Even when one of us leaves to cool down, we always come back home where we’re meant to be.

Mom and dad, I am ready for this next chapter in my life. You always remind me that my years at ISU will be the years I meet all my forever friends and make the memories that will last me a life time. Through these years, I will flourish. These are the years that I will truly become the type of person you’ve been teaching me to be, where I’ll discover who I am without you guys, and who I want to be in my life and where I want to go with my goals and dreams. You guys don’t have to trust that you raised me right, because I can promise that you guys did amazing. I will never be able to thank you enough for everything you guys have ever done for me. You guys are the foundation to everything I am today, and everything I will become.

I love you,

Your little girl

Do you have anything to say to your parents as you leave for college? Let us know in the comments below!

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