Speech I gave for my parents 25th anniversary

25 years later, your love for each other seems to only have grown stronger. Who knew that you two would still be crazy in love for each other for this many years since being introduced to each other at a random dinner in college.  Even though I have only witnessed 20 of your 30 years together, I honestly can say that I am the luckiest daughter in the world because you both inspire me everyday. I know that I was a handful at times , but with your love, I stand here truly humbled and inspired. You both gave me life but you also taught me how to be the best person I can be. 

I know for a fact that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for you two. I can thank both of you over and over again for giving me everything that you have given me but I can’t truly thank you enough for consistently being the two people I look up to and aspire to be. 

You two are the most humble, loving, and successful people that I know and because of you, I know that I can always love more and strive more. You raised me better than anyone could have raised me, you let me learn on my own even while having my back the entire time. 

Mom and Dad, there were so many times that you did things for us that went without recognition or even a simple thanks and I would now like to thank you for all of those little things that shaped us to be the DeGideo family that we are today. 

Mom, thank you for being the most positive person that I know because you taught me that I always have something that I can be thankful for. 

Dad, thank you for being the man that you are and always putting Mom first in your life because you made me realize that I deserve someone as amazing and loving as you are to mom.  

Mom, thank you for introducing me to wake-boarding and waterskiing in Arkansas. I will never forget seeing you kill it on your wakeboard and realizing how jealous everyone was because of your shredding skills.

Dad, thank you for blasting U2 whenever I would drive with you when I was little. You always make everything more fun and I know I get my mischieveous side from you :) 

Mom, thank you for teaching the true meaning of reaching for the stars. Your ambitions of owning the most successful gym in the south sound and your accomplishments of running 6 marathons keep me dreaming and setting goals in my life. 

Dad, thank you for teaching me the true meaning of a hard work ethic. You are the hardest working person I know and your business accomplishments never cease to amaze me. You go the extra mile for us and I know that you never do it for yourself. Your persistence and strength remind me that I can do anything in life with you in my corner. 

Thank you both for taking us to Maui every spring and filling my childhood with memories of snorkeling, surfing lessons, chocolate macadamia nuts, and dinners on the beach that always ending with us laughing until we cried.

Thank you for Mariners games, blackberry picking at our old house, and road trips to Leavenworth.

Thank you for giving bear hugs, for putting notes in our school lunches, and for patience throughout all of our shenanigans. 

Thank you both for letting us ride our dirt-bikes until the sun set even when all of the neighbors were begging you to take our dirt-bikes away. 

Thank you both for being at every single one of my soccer games and for sacrificing your vacations and weekends to cheer me on at every tournament I had since I was 11. 

I could go on forever thanking you both for every value and gift you have given me and I hope you realize how thankful I am to be blessed with you both as parents. Your love for each other gives us something to strive for when we ourselves are married.

You have taught us that marriage is more than a relationship, but it is the perfect balance of a partnership between 2 people who would sacrifice their own lives for the other while also being best friends on top of all that. Having parents who are still obsessed with each other, at my age, is something rare I have come to find and I hope you both know how deeply appreciative I am to have been raised by you both.  

The values that you instilled in us serve to be the foundations for our adult lives and without your example we would not understand the true meaning of love and family. You both need to know that everything that you have done and sacrificed for us is something that we appreciate more than anything else in the world. From Coleman and I, thank you for everything, and happy 25th anniversary!! You both deserve it!