And Open Letter to my Parents.

I think for the most part, most people at least respect their parents.

And most people realize this even more when they move away. 

I'm not really one of those types who gets homesick. However, coming to college has made me realize that I have a great deal to thank my parents for. So, an open letter to them. You're welcome.

I had a pretty normal childhood by common standards. This is Mom and Dad. Aren't they so cute?! Our joke is that we all grew up together. In other words, I helped raise my siblings. Which may be partially true if you watched videos of my dad playing hide and go seek with me as a toddler. But that's how it should be I think. Kids grow up too fast. And I'm so glad I had parents who essentially partook in childhood again with me. 

First, Mom. 

Everyone loves their mother. But let me tell you a thing or two about mine. 

She is usually the one behind the lens, the giant billion megapixel canon lens that is. She has documented my life like no one I've ever seen. Seriously, I tell my friends she's the paparazzi, but I'm secretly very grateful for that. 

She was of course always amazing in the many motherly respects that most people think of, but that wouldn't really set her apart as a mother, now would it?

After I've moved away, I've come to realize more and more what an incredibly valuable friend my mother is. Those hour long phone conversations with her are just some of my favorites. And I now understand why as children we would find her secluded in her room for hours on the phone with Mormor. If Mormor called, we knew it was gonna be long.

One night, I had called mom, but she couldn't answer then. She called me later, as I was sitting down to hot chocolate, and I rushed out into the parking lot to talk to her for a good hour. When I got off the phone, I had a text from my roommate that said, "Are you okay? You just left a full cup of hot chocolate, and a piece of banana bread so....." 

There are so many things I learned from my mother just by being with her. She is one of the smartest people I know, and I think my love of culture, and refinement are largely from her. She helped me actually read, and subliminally introduced me to classical music until I decided it was some pretty cool stuff. She helped me know how to handle many situations, and she helped me know how to laugh. Confession. I love my mom's laugh. It's the best thing ever. Probably where my boisterous laugh comes from.

She has been to practically all of my concerts. Which, seems like a fairly normal thing that most parents do, but I don't think you understand. I just talked to my mom recently, and she was mentioning how it's "concert season" which is nothing like soccer season. Concert season is like once a month. With 4 kids all in music programs, there were some weeks where my mother would drive straight from one concert to another in a night, and then have 2 more concerts that week. And she tried to make it to all of them. Amazing I tell you. It always meant a lot to know she would be there with as many of my siblings she could possibly drag along with her. She even had the whole family up here for my first college performance. What a saint. It was so amazing to see their cute faces in the audience. It means a lot when people you know come to your concerts. 

I truly hope to someday be like my mom. There have been so many situations where I just thought about things she randomly told me over the years, but I remembered them, and they have always helped me through the good and the bad days. 

Alright, Dad. Fabio, Neilford.

My Dad is a pretty cool dude. As much flack as my siblings and myself all give him, he's a pretty cool dad. 

He's the main source of my sense of humor. My Dad was always a tease, but the good kind of tease. The kind that builds character, and gives your brain that witty kind of sarcasm that is just too funny. 

This guy would bend over backwards for anyone. Especially for a daughter struggling in school. I remember going to geometry in 9th grade, and the night before my dad had talked to me about talking to my teacher about something, I can't remember what. Math was always a struggle for me. Well, I went to talk to my teacher, and as I walked up to her, she informed me that my Dad had already been in to chat with her. 

My Dad is one of those cool guys who literally knows everyone. Every year in high school, without fail, I would have a slew of teachers on the first day as they were taking role stop and say, "Are you Neil Watson's daughter?!" After I answered they would just automatically put me in this crazy place in their brain. Like, the kind of circle that you would put Gandalf in just because he's Gandalf. He was just genuinely kind to everyone. 

Him and I might not have always seen eye to eye. My abstract brain was at times unfathomable to him, but that only became problematic when explaining math to me. Or explaining why my procrastinating tendencies were not good. But he taught me some of my greatest lessons, and was so passionate about things like the gospel. That's possibly where I find my passion. For a different subject matter, but the overzealousness is definitely there.

My Dad also took us traveling. Well, both of my parents did. But I am becoming more and more convinced that one of the greatest things my parents ever did for me was all of the traveling we did.

I have seen some amazing people and places, and now I have some of the greatest, craziest, and funniest stories to tell because of the wonderful adventures my parents took us on as kids. 

I am also convinced that it takes leaving your comfortable surroundings to begin to realize many things about yourself. It has been on these longs trips that I have found things about myself and realized things that I never would have realized otherwise. 

It taught me how to improvise in life. Plans often go wrong, or are changed, and because of a lot of the improvising we did on vacation, I am a master at this.

I also learned to embrace diversity. I often found myself in huge cities, and in the not-so-great parts of town. This helped me to embrace the diversity in the world, and put on a different lens, and begin to see people as they are, and learn to not judge them, but accept them. This is one of the most valuable things I have ever learned in my life. 

But most of all we learned how to adventure and how to have fun on these trips, and that is truly invaluable in my life. 

Yeah, of course I miss my family, but I also have a great family here in Logan who I miss when I go to see my real family. Either way I'm missing someone. 

But since I've left home, I've realized how lucky I was to get the parents that I did. Most of all, my parents are magnificent teachers. Both of them. I've often lamented the fact that I didn't have them as teachers more in church. Sometimes my Mom or Dad would substitute a class, and I would just think like, "why can't they just be my teacher?" Granted, I did live with them, but they weren't preparing lessons for me at home like that. But they also did. They taught by word, and also example, and often it was the little things that I remember and have stuck the most.

I love my dear parentals and all they did and have done for me. 

Oh, and I also have to thank them for the love of 80's music and other classics they gave me. 

The best is when you're talking to a cute guy with a great taste in music, and you can use your vast knowledge of obscure 80's music to impress him. Thanks Mom and Dad, you really nailed it on that one ;) 

But in all seriousness, I love them very much, and I truly appreciate, (especially now) the many many things they did for me. It has made all the difference, and hopefully I can get close to doing what they have done :)