Dear Dad,

It's Father's Day, and I want to tell you that I appreciate you. I appreciate you every day, and I really could write about how much I appreciate you every day, but then you'd get tired of hearing it and tell me to clean the bathroom or something. :)

First of all, thank you for always being here for me. Thank you for all of the nights that you tucked me in and read me a story (or the same story over and over), thank you for all of the times we went to brunch instead of church, thank you for all of the times we turned up the radio and sang loudly on our road trips and thank you for all of the times you took me to the pool, even when you really wanted to nap and watch the baseball game. As I got older, you listened to me cry (and gush) over boys, you listened to me obsess over literally everything, and you listened to the music suggestions I sent you (well, some of them). You taught me how to play sports, how to drive and how to stand up tall and be proud of who I am.

We've all made mistakes, but thank you for teaching me that it is better to admit that I am wrong and fix the issue than to protect my pride. Thank you for teaching me that honesty really is the best policy, even if I have twelve hours of timeout (and math worksheets) to suffer through for telling it. Thank you for showing me that change is almost always for the best, and that even the curveballs that life throws you can be used to make you a better person.

Thank you for keeping a roof over my head and food on the table, even if I sat there for hours before I finally ate it. Thank you for teaching me to appreciate what I have, even if I've thrown fits that I couldn't have more. Thank you for showing me that the people I have in my life and the support that they give me is worth more than any monetary possession that I could ever buy, and thank you for teaching me that listening is worth more than talking.

I know that I haven't been easy to raise, and I remember many of the nights throughout my life that I screamed myself hoarse, kicked the floor until it shook and hurled insults through my slammed door at you. Even now, I sometimes say things that I really don't mean in emotional moments. But I promise I really am thankful for you and for everything you've done for me - I'm so proud to be a daddy's girl. :)

So thank you for everything - thank you for helping to create me, for raising me and for letting me wear pajamas in public sometimes. Thank you for pushing me out of my comfort zone to try new things, even if I momentarily hated you for doing it. Thank you for never letting me question if I was loved and for teaching me from the day that I was born that I am a princess. And most importantly, thank you for teaching me the rules of football.

With more love than I can say,

Your daughter.