To my Mom and Dad.....

My stepmother has been a very large influence in my life. She is one of the many wonderful women in my life. TALK ABOUT STRENGTH! One of my wishes/greatest desires is to be as strong as she is. She has raised three children...okay make that three and a half (she had me through the tough teen years)...And for a part of her motherhood, she was a single mom. She has always made sure that our basic needs were met and MORE!!! She never let me give up...and she never gave up on me! I thought she was tough on me many times, but now that I am older, I understand that it was her way of making me learn and be independent. She made me realize that I COULD stand on my own two feet....I COULD get a college degree AND a good job...and that I COULD make it on my own! I did it all through her love, support, guidance, and honesty. She has done so much for me....She was my study buddy in college, my teacher, my friend, my mentor, and most of all, an ear and a shoulder. I will never be able to thank her for all the things that she did. She let me live, but prevented me from bringing harm to myself, has let me learn and still act stupid on occasion, and I don't know how I'll ever thank or repay her.

To my dad.... Thank you for the advice, love, and great conversations. You've been so good to me and I will always be your little girl. Thank you for being honest and loving. Because of you, fried bologna and chocolate milk is a meal that I enjoy and a time with you that I will never forget. As I get older, I realize why I loved watching Mighty Mouse with you. I know that I always thought that the theme song was about you. I always knew that you'd be there when I needed you....("....Here I come to save the day!")

I'm grown up. I'm a married woman. But you know what??? Sometimes, I realize that I'm just a young insecure girl (that akward kid in school) stuck in a woman's body....still lost and trying to find my way. The only thing that helps is that I know that I have so many people in my life that love me and will help me find my way.

I am truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in my life. I just hope that they know how much they mean to me. Every person I meet shapes my life and without the relationships that I have made over the years, I am nothing.