1. First man to truly and unconditionally love me: My dad has always been the guy who has loved me through everything. Every obstacle. Every stage of my life. Every mistake. Every accomplishment. No matter what seems to happen in life, his love never alters.
2. My hero: He works endlessly to support our family. He works two jobs to make sure we all have the life he had pictured his family of having. He always puts himself first before anyone else. Even when he meets people he doesn’t know, they are his first priority. He demonstrates acts of kindness each and every day, looking for nothing in return.
3. He finds some way to always makes me laugh: There is never a dull moment with him. He has this sense of humor that never seems to get old. He often makes my stomach hurt as tears stream down the sides of my face. I miss laughing with him while I’m at school and he’s back home.
4. Always a good time together: Whether it’s going on late food runs, Saturday errands, or just watching t.v together. He will always be my best friend and I’ll always be his buddy. You know you have a special bond with your parents when you give up going out with friends, to hang out with your folks.
5. Never wants to see his girl upset: A father never wants to see his little girl upset, no matter how big or small the issue might be. Whether it’s because she just received a bad grade on her math quiz, or because she just got her heart broken. He is always there with open ears and arms. Providing endless support and the words “Things will get better. You are a smart, and beautiful girl. Who I’m proud to call my daughter.”
6. Receiving his emails never gets old: Its funny, no one really sends emails nowadays…well besides my dad. Which I love. He is always original. I look forward to them every week while I’m away at school. They are always thoughtful and often novels. His kind words make my days manageable.
7. Pushes me to be the best version of myself: Always be a leader. Never become a follower. My dad would always tell me each time I would doubt my capability of achieving something. I’m the type of girl who doubts every move she makes, and my dad is the one that makes things seem reachable.
8. Made saying goodbye so hard: When I had to leave for college, I will never forget the amount of tears that streamed down my face as I had to say goodbye to my family. The realization that I wouldn’t have my normal routines with my dad, or the consistent laughter crushed me.
9. No guy will ever compare to his standards: I often find myself looking for the qualities that my dad has in the guys I consider dating. I want someone who will love me unconditionally like he does with my mom. He shows his kids that kindness matters and that being a hopeless romantic is okay. He makes me feel safe as I fear of what life throws at me, but makes this big old world not as scary as its made out to be. My father is the greatest, hardworking, most- humble, caring, funny, and loving guy I’ve ever known. I hope one day I will find someone who will have some of these qualities that my father portrays. Although, I know my dad will continue to be my number one guy.
10. He always buys me the good food: No matter what time it is, if he knows I’m craving something, he goes out and gets it for me. Whether It’d be a snow cone, Chinese, or Mcdonalds nuggets. He always made sure I never went hungry. We are the same person when it comes to food.

My dad will always hold a special place in my heart. Being away at college is hard but it makes coming home something I will never take for granted. Thank you dad, for always being there for our family, and making me believe that there are some nice guys still out there.

Love,

Your little girl