Dad,

I don't know how I begin to describe how lucky I am to have you in my life. I remember when I was younger and I would constantly ask you for a pony; you would always tell me that when I was older, a pony would be mine. Even though I don't have an actual pony, everything you have done for me in my 19 years of living can be compared to the cost of that pony.

Every morning that you made me breakfast and drove me to school because I woke up late. Every time we would listen to "Hypnotize" by Biggie Smalls because it is our anthem. Every article I wrote or picture I took for the school newspaper or even the morning NewsBreak episodes, you didn't miss one, Just like going to work every day was a routine, you would involve yourself in the activities in my life as a routine. You always have wanted to know what exactly I was doing and how it was making me feel in the end. My happiness has always been your main concern and priority. Every random movie night we would have with one another, just so we can bond over the action films we loved, or even watching the History Channel because we both are nerds at heart.

You have worked nights since I was little, but never did you miss a choir concert, and over my years of living, I have had many. You don't know how much those concerts meant to me, knowing that you were out in the audience watching me do the very thing that brings me an endless amount of happiness. I will never forget my senior year; it was my last concert as a student, and you couldn't get work off. I told you that it was okay, but I was slightly hurt inside because this moment we would have with one another would have been the last one. As my choir and I walked through the auditorium into the choir room getting ready for the stage, I can never forget the small "Hey" that I heard behind my shoulder. The voice was forever familiar but it took me a minute to register that the slight Jamaican accent was you. When I turned and saw your face, I had tears of happiness because your job would never be more important than my achievements. Not all parents would do this for their child, but you did. You will never know how that one moment was the pony that I asked for as a child. That pony, if purchased, would have symbolized the love you have for me; so instead of a pony, I got every concert and rugby game you showed up to, every morning breakfast, car rides, and movie night bonding.

I may be in college but I will always be your little girl. I will always be the little girl that you tried teaching to ride her bike and drive a car, but you got frustrated because I couldn't stop laughing. I'm the little girl who will always be up for Sam's Club trips at lunchtime just for the free samples. I'm the little girl who will always try helping you cook, but fail miserably.

I'm the little girl who looks up to you as the best father I could have ever wished for. Sometimes we can get tired of one another, but at the end of the day, we know that without one another, life is meaningless.

Having a father like you is rare, but God broke the mold when he made you, dad, and for that, I'm forever grateful.