Life as a college athlete can get pretty busy and while trying to balance a schedule of classes, athletics, and a social life, it's easy to lose touch with your family back home.

During my freshman year of college, I found myself so busy that I hardly called home. My parents would call, but I would always be doing something so important that I couldn't answer; I thought nothing of it, but to my parents, not being able to talk to their child took a toll on them. 

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Then one day I received an envelope in my mailbox. I didn't recognize the address on the postage but opened it anyway. Lo and behold, there was a smiling polaroid of my parents accompanied by a short note: “We are so proud of you son, and think about you every day.” Immediately after, I called my parents and had a long conversation with them filling them in on everything in my life. Then one month later, I received another surprise envelope in the mail. Again, there was a picture and a message from my parents telling me that they loved me. 

Every month since then I've received an envelope in the mail from my parents, and I've saved all of them. Now, my parents and I talk daily but I still look forward to receiving that envelope in the mail to give me that extra reminder of who supports me.

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* Originally published on July 11, 2022, by Isaac Haney