Letter To Eleanor House Staff from a Youth

Thank you for always reminding me that black isn’t the only color that should be in my wardrobe and no I still won’t wear pink.

Thank you for painting my room my favorite color and making it feel like home

Thank you for putting positive messages on my door every day.

Thank you for practicing and perfecting the art of pancake making and making them for me anytime I ask even if its 3 in the morning.

Thank you for coming in my room every Monday morning and gently waking me up and saying “good morning sunshine you’re going to have a beautiful day because you’re beautiful” it’s the most perfect way to start out my day.

Thank you for sharing my love of ketchup chips and sitting on the couch eating bags and bags of them while we watch endless nonsense on the Family Channel

Thank you for asking me every day how many classes I went to at school and thank you for your amazing reaction when I tell you I went to all four. That’s my motivation.

Thank you for reminding me every day just how beautiful (inside and out but most importantly inside) I am and thank you for helping me realize that it’s true.

Thank you for always sharing your kindness and your genuine spirit with me and thank you for always starting your day with a smile and ending it with a smile even though I know I probably make you wanna pull your hair out some days.

Thank you for supporting me when I go back to the same group of friends over and over again even when they hurt me and use me and I know that I deserve better.

You are the best person in my world.

Thank you for holding me accountable to the promises and goals that I make even when I give you attitude and don’t follow through. You are teaching me the importance of accountability and you’re teaching me that I can do it even if it’s really hard. You’re teaching me I can do anything I set my mind to.

No one in my life has ever had the impact on me that you have had,

Thank you for always telling me every time I walk out the door to ‘make good choices’ even though I mock you every time.

Thank you for always checking in with me throughout the day to make sure that I’m okay.

Thank you for your goofy humor and always being someone I know can make me laugh even if it’s in the middle of super store and you’re dancing to the song over the radio.

Thank you for listening to my awful music that you hate and pretending that you like it sometimes I secretly think you do.

Thank you for always dropping everything if you know I need you. Thank you for talking with me for hours and hours when I’ve had a bad day.

Thank you for working too hard.

Thank you for always supporting me even when you don’t support my choices.

Thank you for being hard on me when I need it.

Thank you for being positive always.

I could go on forever and ever and thank you for the millions of things you do daily to make my life beautiful but I think I’ll stop here.

Your presence is my present. THANK YOU.

You are the best. You are helping me discover the person I’m meant to me. You make me feel loved, heard, valued and important. Thanks for never giving up on me!!! You are teaching me not to give up on myself.

“Xoxo”

Written by a youth at Eleanor’s House to staff

Female youth 16 years old