I don’t think I can possibly thank you enough in a short 300 word article, but this is a small thank you note for the amazing life I have had. Over the past 18 years of my life I’ve learned so much from you, and you have given me the world.

“Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother.” Mom, thanks for being the best role model and woman I know. Thank you for making my lunch every morning before I leave for school and doing my laundry at midnight when I realize I don’t have any school pants washed. Thank you for accepting my failures and pushing me to become better. You do so much for me and you keep me on track.

To Dad, the smartest guy I know, and the only person who is as strange as me. You should probably get a medal solely for the fact you lived with six girls at one point in your life, and for that you’re braver than any man I know. Thank you for helping me with school, especially when I just don’t get it. Thank you for sharing your abundance of knowledge with me and for teaching me the structure of the heart at the age of eight… it has been a crucial piece of knowledge in my life! Thank you for keeping our home sane and for supporting us all in everything we do.

I may be biased, but I think I have been blessed with the best parents in the world. Thank you for teaching me I don’t always have to be the best at everything but rather to always try my best in everything. Thank you both for instilling morals and values in me and for teaching me how to stay true to them. Without your guidance, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Love, Kara

Kara Zittergruen

Mini-Feature Assistant