Hi Dad,
From the day I was born you have been my biggest fan; you're the first one to congratulate me and the last one by my side. Some girls are close with their dads, but few have a relationship as rare as ours.
No matter my age, you have always encouraged me to be myself. When I was younger and only wanted to wear boy's clothes, you did not encourage me to dress like all the other girls, you encouraged me to dress like myself.
When I wanted to play hairdresser and pretend to cut your hair, you would sit on the ground for hours while I styled and “cut" your hair. When I was a cheerleader in middle school you were one of the only dads at the competitions and games. You supported me in everything I did and never asked me to be anything other than what I wanted to be. When I decided to play tennis, you would practice with me for hours even though it killed your knees to run around.
I am blessed to have a dad like you, a dad that will literally do anything for his daughter. I am blessed to have a dad that will sit with me for hours reading my essays to make sure they are good enough. I am blessed to have a dad that will drop whatever he is doing to pick up my friends and me at one in the morning. I am blessed to have a dad who cares.
When I was younger I used to think it was the most annoying thing that you would have me text you when I got to school or when I got to my friends house. Now I know that is you caring. That is you caring if I am safe. That is you being the best dad you can be.
Thank you for sticking around through the good and the bad. Thank you for being proud of me no matter how well or how bad I did in school. Thank you for treating me like a person and not like someone who is beneath you. Thank you for giving me our traditional “Daddy-Gabi" hugs. Thank you for not being mad at me when I completely scraped the side of my (sorry, your) car. Thank you for being my shoulder to cry on.
No matter what I was sad about, whether it was boys, school, family or simply life, you never questioned my judgment. You just asked if I was ok and held me for as long as I needed you to.
You are the type of parent I aspire to be. I aspire to be as compassionate, loving, forgiving and driven as you. You never give up and never fail to make me laugh. You are my confidant and the best dad I could ever ask for.
As our favorite song "Lullaby" by Billie Joel says: “Wherever you may go, No matter where you are, I never will be far away." No matter the distance between us we are always in each other's hearts and each other's minds.
I love you, Dad,
Your very grateful, very lucky daughter
