The Best Childhood

Last week we had a Stake Activity and fireside. Casey and I made lots of new friends that we've hung out with this past week, many of them from our ward. And we got free dinner. Really, why would anyone pass that up? You can never plan too far in advance for free food.
For the fireside, Bishop's wife spoke and another girl sang intermittently. It was a beautiful and very spiritual presentation. It was mainly focused on the Atonement as Bishop's wife illustrated it through the story of her conversion. Even though it was lined with hope from the Atonement, the tale itself was a rather woeful one. Bishop's wife and her older sister and grown up with an alcoholic father. Her mother passed away when she was only 11 years old, and her father passed the following year near Christmas time.
Her and her sister went to live with a family that wound up introducing them to the Church (and the two were later baptized). However, they never really felt like they were actually a part of the family, or that they were loved as much as the other children. The story was heartbreaking and brought tears to many in the audience, myself included. Yet, she showed us how much the Atonement had helped her in her life, and the testimony that she bore of it was powerful. I absolutely loved the experience I had listening to that presentation.
However, there was something else that tugged at my heart besides what the speaker had intended. The whole time I was listening to her story, the only thing I wanted to do was run to my parents, give them a hug, and tell them, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for loving me as much as you do. Thank you so much for all the opportunities you have given me. And most of all, thank you so much for giving me a childhood that I can look back on and smile."
Since I moved up to Provo I've heard of so many people who have had bad childhoods. I guess I never realized how common it was since it had never applied to me. I feel sorrow when people tell me of some of the things that happened in their childhood, or the relationships they had (or still have) with their parents.
I am so thankful for my parents. They helped make my childhood, in my opinion, the best anyone could ever ask for. I never have to look back on my life with regret and sorrow.
So again, I say to my parents, "Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me such a wonderful life!"