Dear dad,
First off, I want to start by saying thank you. Thank you for continuously being a presence in my life, even when I felt like you were against me. Thank you for putting up with the teenage version of myself, that thought you were out to get me. Thank you for always working your hardest to ensure that my brother and I always were able to experience the things that you didn't get too in your life.
Secondly, I want to apologize. I know sometimes I was hard to deal with. A teenage daughter and a father are not always able to get along, especially when the two are a mirror representative of each other. You are hard-headed, strong, and not afraid of conflict - but in the same manner, so am I, and this has caused some tension in the past. I want to apologize for raising my voice whenever I became frustrated. I want to apologize for rolling my eyes at the advice you tried to give me because I didn't understand at the time that you were only trying to help me. I want to apologize for the times that I chose to succumb to anger and frustration, rather than taking the time to hear you out. But most of all, I want to apologize for not putting in as much effort as I should have to fix that gap in our relationship while I was still living at home.
I think that one of the best things that could have happened to us was the distance that college has offered. There isn't time for silly family quarrels that happened so easily being under the same roof 24/7. There is that independence for me to learn about who I am and discover things on my own. I want to thank you for instilling in me the traits I needed to become the person I am today. Although I am never completely on my own, because I know despite the situation, or whatever may arise, that you will always be there for me, because that's the kind of man you are.
I want to end with one final thought - something I have never told you since I moved out. With distance, I have been able to recognize the amount of hard work, love, and care you put into every day on this earth. You have a determination to always get the job done, and I admire the example you have set for me to never quit. All my life, I have taken for granted the opportunities that have been given to me because of you, and I want to take a moment to express my appreciation for this life that you have given to me. I may choose my own paths in life, and fall down every once in a while, but whenever I find myself in times of trouble or hardship, I remember the five words a very wise man once told me - "A Schaab Never Gives Up." You will forever be the most important man in my life.
Thank you for being you, dad.
I love you.
Love, your pumpkin.
