Growing up in suburban Philadelphia, I would say I had a relatively normal suburban life. I say relatively because of the fact that since the day I was able to understand real sentences both of my parents told me I was adopted. Honestly, that is just awesome, the fact that my adoptive parents were so open with me in the beginning about it. As some parents chose to hide it from the child that is adopted almost their entire lives or maybe until their 18.

Also being an only child it helps in creating that relationship with me and my father. I was always a dad's greatest friend and still, am to this day even halfway through college. My dad has been there for me since the beginning, ever since I could walk. He taught me how to throw a baseball, how to tie my shoes, how to be a gentleman, how to drive and plenty of life lessons in between.

He was there for men when the first girl I liked broke my heart, he was there for the mistakes that I made in my life, he was there for me when I told him: "Dad I want to be a firefighter." My dad has been the rock in my life that I have needed and there is nothing that I would ever want to change about it.

More recently, I would say within the last 5-6 years, my dad has been the person that I have asked so many things of and I cannot say thank you enough. When I first started high school I truly did not know what I want to do with my life, not knowing if I wanted to go to college, or just get a job, or do something at all. It was him who pushed me to become a sports announcer in high school just by sheer interest.

For all three-quarters of my high school career, he would drive me to and from school at all hours of the day, sacrificing his work schedule so that I may become something, anything. Late nights of sitting with me in the dining room after a 4-hour broadcast to be with me as I do my homework, just to get up at 6 am and go do it again. It was also then when I became a firefighter, and now more sacrificing he made so that I can give back to my community.

When I got my first car after working summers at Burger King, he was the first person to give me the keys, another thing that without him I would not be able to. My dad has literally been my rock in my life, through everything that has happened. He just celebrated his 60th birthday and knowing the fact that he really is not getting any younger is hard.

The best way to really say how much my dad means to me is the fact that I am halfway through college and still call him almost every day just to talk to him and ask him how he is doing. To make sure that he is ok, and that work isn't giving him too much stress. I care about him as is if he was my own brother, and he is my best friend.