In this world, there are few fragile things that have been left untouched by the chaos that is society today. As children, we're born with an innocent purity that, once lost, cannot ever be taken back. Though the loss of said purity is inevitable, it is the job of the parent to shield their child from the dangers of the world for as long as possible until deemed ready. It's a gradual process that takes an unbelievable amount of patience, strength, and bravery to accomplish.

I can think of no one else that fits this description best than my own father. (I might be a bit biased, but hey, kudos if you can say the same for your own dad!)

There's so much to say here. From childhood to now, from the small things to the big things; I could go on for hours on end about the things you do that amaze me. But let me try to narrow it down to the ones that count the most -- your "supernatural characteristics," if you will.

1. Your Patience

I know that caring for me wasn't easy. Yeah, I know that just having kids in general isn't a walk in the park, and sure, I guess I was a little quieter than my brother during our infant years, but you should know what I'm getting at here. Even from the very beginning, you had to put up with my filter-less mouth. Though it's gotten a lot better over the years, you could still hands-down say that your poker face is probably one of the best poker faces out there since you had to master it for so long. Looking back on it now, it's pretty hilarious -- what, with everything that would fly out of my mouth in public -- but you breezed through it all.

But even as I grew up, and typical teenage troubles played out, you sat and listened through them all. From grades to social life to everything in between, you listened and never once did you ever make me feel judged. Even when I felt like everyone else was staring at me with judgment in their eyes, I knew that if I looked up into yours, I would see none. You are, and always have been, my safe zone, and I can't even tell you how much that means to me.

2. Your Intelligence/Wisdom

So, we all know that I'm not a huge math person and to this day, you're basically my human calculator. Let's get that out of the way. But academics aside, you've always had this unending amount of wisdom that I can say with full confidence has helped me get to where I am today, both mentally and physically. You always remain realistic, but only because you never wanted me to get caught up in things without knowing the possible repercussions.

It was, and continues to be, your guidance that helps me through my troubles, whether or not you are physically there to hold my hand through it all or if it's just your voice in my head helping me through the day. And while you may not be a perfect narrator like Morgan Freeman, your voice is still a soothing soundtrack that reminds me that at the end of the day, I always have a home to come back to.

3. Your Humor

Okay. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. If there's one thing that can confirm our relation, it's our identical sense of humor. As much as I (and the rest of our immediate relatives) roll eyes at your jokes, inside I'm a laughing stock. I can always count on you to make me smile, whether you meant to do so or not. The corny jokes, the spontaneous singing and dancing, the references to things that, to be honest, I don't always fully understand...they all crack me up. And I'm sure mom agrees (though don't bother asking her; she'll probably deny it).

Now I know this is a probably a huge ego boost and you're probably going to take this as encouragement (sorry mom), but it's the truth. Maybe we could be a comedic duo one day, because I also happen to think I'm pretty hilarious. I'm sure we'd sell out every show, no problem.

4. Your Loyalty

This is one of the big ones for me. You've always supported me, from my dreams to my goals to every weird thing that I've ever come up with in my restless mind. You've always been there to voice your support in everything I do. Though there are some things that you have not always agreed with, you've always made it a point to stay by my side to let me make my own decisions. You give me so much confidence, even with things as small as wearing my college on your shirt or always sharing my accomplishments with the person nearest to you.

And though I may get flustered (especially when you decide to flatter me in public), I can't thank you enough. As someone who grew up with tons of insecurities, you truly make me wonder why I even had them in the first place.

5. Your Heart

Through everything else, this is by far my favorite. You've got the kindest heart that I've ever known, not just through the love you show your family but really to anyone that has the privilege of meeting you. It is through your example that I've tried to model myself into being the accepting, caring, empathetic, and above all, loving person that you've always been. Never once have I doubted it when you say you love me, and I don't believe I ever will.

You've been my biggest role model all throughout my life, and I can only hope to be more like you as I grow older. Your love is a constant that I don't ever want to change, because even when the world feels like it's crumbling beneath me, I know you'll always be there to catch me.

So when people ask me who my favorite superhero is and expect me to reply with something like "Batman" or "Superman," I'll just look up at my dad. So what if he doesn't have his own graphic novel written about him? I have the real thing right here, and that's the best thing I could ever ask for.

Happy Father's Day, daddy. I love you.