Dads are great. They are caring, strong and hilarious all at the right moments. They never fail to educate us on various topics of life and tell us what the real world consists of. With everything that goes wrong, our dads always seem to deliver with both advice and motivation to push through it all. A great dad is a spectacular human being, a role model and someone who definitely makes the world a little brighter.

Dad, you have been through thick and thin with me, leading me through some of the hardest situations I've ever been in and always knowing what to say. You have taught me so much, and I am certain I will learn a lot more from you as life continues. I am so grateful to have built such a close relationship with you as I have gotten older. You have done so much for me and I know I don't say it enough, but I am saying it now: thank you.

1. Thank you for always supporting me.

Whenever I need someone by my side, you are always there, without hesitation. Every silly award ceremony, school play, parents' day, etc. You have always been there with endless support, no matter what it entails.

2. Thank you for teaching me to believe in myself.

Ever since I was little, you have instilled in me the lesson of believing in myself -- and let me tell you, it has paid off. It is a lot easier to get through the hard tasks in my life because I was taught at a young age to believe I could do anything I set my mind to.

3. Thank you for allowing me to make my own decisions.

I feel like this is the biggest thank you of all, because through this, I have learned the concept of trust. You have taught me so much over the years, and for you to trust that I will use that knowledge to make the right choices means the world to me. Of course I have made mistakes, but I have learned from them, and that in itself is a lesson.

4. Thank you for making my favorite foods when I am home, and bringing me snacks when you visit.

Home-cooked food is one of the things I miss most after being away at college this past year, and I can't thank you enough for filling that void when I go home.

5. Thank you for always making car rides interesting.

I always look forward to riding in the car with you, controlling the aux cord, and watching you jam to today's hits and pretend to be the NASCAR driver that you think you are. It's definitely an interesting scene.

6. Thank you for always pushing me to do the best I can do.

No matter where life takes me, I always know at the end of the day that I did the best I could, because that's what you raised me to do.

7. Thank you for teaching me that naps are okay, even for adults.

I definitely inherited my desire to nap from you, but I am completely and utterly okay with that. Naps are great.

8. Thank you for being my own personal handyman.

I break a lot of things, and you always have a way of putting them back together. When my car has trouble, you're my first call; when I want to do a DIY project that I found on Pinterest, you always go with it; and when I need to have things hung up straight on the wall, you are the first one I yell for.

9. Thank you for listening to my rants when I am upset.

Even when it isn't a valid reason to get upset, you are always there to listen to my rants, no matter how much I am overreacting.

10. Thank you for keeping me in the loop when I'm gone.

College is hard, especially when you know your family's lives continue to go on even when you aren't there. I'm glad I have someone like you to always keep me updated on what is happening in the family, because even if I can't be there with you all, it's nice to at least stay in the loop.

11. Thank you for all of the hugs and kisses you've given me over the years.

No matter how old I get, I will never have too many bear hugs or forehead kisses. It's the little things that mean the most, and these mean a ton to me.

12. Thank you for all of the daddy-daughter dates.

These taught me that there isn't anything better than spending time with family, and you are the best family that I will ever have.

13. Thank you for showing me how I should be treated when it comes to the dating world.

You certainly set a very high bar for any man in my life, and thanks to you, I know exactly how I should be treated. I know my self worth. I know that I deserve to be treated with respect, and I know that if I am not treated that way, I need to cut that person out of my life, because in the end they are not worth it.

14. Thank you for making me laugh.

Your dance moves, jam sessions in the car, and jokes always get me giggling.

15. Thank you for being you.

I am who I am today because of the person that you are. You have influenced my outlook on life to a great extent, taught me countless lessons and impacted my life as a whole. I mean it when I say I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for you and who you are. Thank you for being such an incredible role model and leader, and most importantly, thank you for being my dad.

Love,

Your little girl

PS: Surprise, I'm a writer for Odyssey!