There is always one person you will never forget. It could be a relative, an ex, a teacher or a stranger, but they impacted a part of your life and for that they will always be on a shelf somewhere in your heart. 

Think of the person that taught you a skill: how to tie your shoe, make macaroni and cheese or what H2O stands for. Think of a person who taught you an important lesson: that love exists in many forms, learn from others mistakes or procrastinating on assignments does not help your grade. Thank these people because they were a large part of how we develop our character and self-awareness. 

These people are “yous.” Every person has met someone that has stayed with them in some way, the names may be different, but we all have them. They can make us upset, they are people that sometimes we wish we could forget or people that inspire us to move forward, but no matter how much some don’t want to admit it, these “yous” are important and deserve recognition. 

“(You are) the most amazing person I know. (You are) so strong-willed and dominant. (You) inspire me to enjoy every moment of my life and to learn to let go and be thankful for what I have. (You) never makes excuses to not do something because you never know what could happen,” said junior child development major Heather Elkins. 

Actions speak where words cannot. There are remarkable people in this world, and Elkins thanks her special person for mentoring her and helping her become a well-rounded person.

“There are still many things I need to work on, but I would never trade my relationship with (you) for anything else,” Elkins said.  

Without guidance, our paths seem more like a lane at a bowling alley – long and narrow – but the “yous” we encounter act as the bumpers to guide us down the lane. People may not need definite rules, but they need structure to know how to keep moving forward.  

“I want to thank you for inspite of what you have gone through, for being patient as I deal with my own self and not feeling the need to control my course of action, regardless of your ultimately superior experience,” said junior psychology major Jonathan Wertz. 

Every person that crosses our path has impacted us and left an invisible footprint. Those that have walked into our lives and been present through life’s highlights, difficult times or somewhere in between, but were still part of our life and forever remain in our memories. 

“The ‘yous’ are important in our lives because without them, our self-identity is completely illusory. Our impact on other lives truly defines us and our relationships with one another,” Wertz said.

It is character that these “yous” affect. Their presence, their words or their actions; it could be anything that they do, but something about them resonates. 

Senior nutrition major Charles Goeken said his ‘’you” taught him the meaning of following through.

“If you say you are going to do something, do it, otherwise don’t complain about how things are, don’t whine when you can’t get your way (until) you step up or accept the fact that things aren’t going to change, and make the best out of them,” Goeken said. 

Time is necessary for us to understand and to learn from these lessons we never thought we needed. 

You were the person in my life that changed how I look at a challenge. Four years of dedication and love of the sport, I thought I earned my spot. It has been a few years, but thank you for making that decision because it was the motivation I needed to know that life is a basket toss that requires strength of others to make you fly. You lit a spark in my heart to constantly chase success and push harder for what I want.  

No matter what the world may think, we all have a “you,” and it is time to thank them.