Everyone has someone they look up to, mine happens to be my dad. He is my hero for more reasons than one and I can’t thank him enough for giving me such an amazing life and being there for me every step of the way. I don't always show you the appreciation that you deserve, so dad, this one is for you.
As long as I can remember, my dad has always been there. From the day I was born all the way up to 20 years later. He’s always been by my side teaching me everything I need to know in life to be happy and successful. He taught me how to be strong and independent so that I can stand on my own when the time comes. He taught me how to fight hard and never give up on anything I do. He also taught me everything I know about sports.
My dad was always really involved when it came to my school award ceremonies, concerts, and sporting events. He volunteered to help out with the bottle drives, color runs, fundraisers, chaperoning for my field trips and, my favorite, standing on the sidelines being my biggest supporter. He taught me how to ride a bike and then told me to get back up and try again when I fell off. When I was really young, he taught me how to skate and was even my hockey coach for awhile. He taught me how to play soccer and was my coach for summer league. He made almost every game and tournament I was ever in. After all the years of me playing sports, my senior game finally came and he was there to see me play one last time. There was nothing I looked forward to more than running down the field, skating down the ice or running around the bases than hearing my dad cheering and whistling for me, the loudest supporter of all.
I inherited a lot of my features and qualities from my dad as well. Sometimes I think my brother is a little jealous because I take after dad more than he does. I have my dad's brown eyes, his thick legs and his height…short. I inherited my dad’s athletic ability along with his speed. I take after his eating habits and crazy long stories that he tells, and believe me when I say there's no “long story short.” Dad gives the whole story, details and all, as do I. I have my dad’s sense of humor and sometimes his forgetfulness. Something else I get from my dad is his singing and dancing ability–he and I definitely shouldn't quit our day jobs. Dad and I know that we can’t sing, but that doesn't stop us, although maybe we should just stick to singing in the car.
My dad is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. He can fix anything too. Anything of mine that ever needed fixing, dad could do it. My dad is always keeping busy doing everything and anything, although as of June 30, 2016, he is officially a retired man. He worked in the New York State Department of Corrections (NYSDOC) for 26 and a half years. But if anyone knows my dad, just because he's retired, doesn't mean the work stops. My dad also has his own side business which keeps him busy on top of all the yard work and housework he does. He’s always making improvements on the house, working on any new project he may have, which now includes restoring an old truck with my brother, or helping a family member or a friend with anything imaginable. All in all, my dad can do it all.
Last but not least, my dad is my hero because of how he treats my mom. My mom and dad have been married 30 years. They have one of the strongest marriages that I have seen and they make each other so happy. They were high school sweethearts and they still haven't used up the “honeymoon” phase type of love that everyone says eventually goes away with time. Just by the way they are together, you can tell they were definitely made for each other. I’m lucky enough to say that my parents are still together and I couldn't be happier for them.
Overall, my dad has been my hero since day one and anyone is lucky to have met my dad because he's pretty awesome. Thank you for everything you do for me and most importantly thank you for being my dad. I hope you know how much you mean to me and how grateful I am for you. I hope this helps you to see the appreciation I have for you because this one is for you.