Dear Dad,
I will always be your little girl, and nobody will ever be able to tell me otherwise. You are the man who has brought laughter into my stressful life. The man who has made me realize it is okay to push the limit every now and then, but not too often, and not too much. There are countless lessons that you have taught me throughout my life, and without those lessons I would not be the young woman I am today.
Growing up, you were overprotective. I may not have appreciated it at the time, but now that I look back, I realize you only did what you did to make sure I walked back through the front door when I walked out. You taught me to open my heart to others, some more than others. You showed me that if the person I opened my heart up to broke it in the process, they were not worth my “crocodile tears”. You have showered me with love in this short life of mine, and I now know that I deserve to find someone who treats me just as well, if not better than you treat Mom.
You, Dad, have an edge to you that should make no guy ever want to cross me, because they will have to deal with you (as you say). When I wouldn’t play my best in a game, you would tell me what I had to improve on, while sometimes making me cry in the process. When I got a bad quiz grade I would bring it to Mom to sign, because I knew that if you saw it I probably wouldn’t leave my room for the next couple of days. I know that the edgy side of you is only there to make me a better person, so I thank you.
You, Dad, also have a soft side. Although you may not admit it, you do. When I told you that I had been asked on a date (for the first time), you just looked at me, not many words came out, just stares. I could tell by the look in your eyes that you had finally realized your little girl was growing up. Just a short three years later, I opened my first college acceptance letter, and got the same look I had gotten a few years before. Tears were brought to your eyes; tears I had rarely seen before. You were happy for me, and proud of me. The genuine side to you shows on a daily basis, some instances are more memorable than others, but it is a side of you that exists whether you will admit it or not.
Lastly, Dad, you have the outgoing, humorous side. The side of you that will go up to the boy on my first date, and tell him “I have a lot of land in this backyard to bury a body”. The side that will take the time out of his busy schedule to entertain my friends and I on a summer day by bringing us margaritas (non-alcoholic, of course) to the poolside, and acting like the “pool boy” for the remainder of the day. The side that will do anything, for anyone, whether you know them personally or not.
Although I may not be the same little girl that you taught to tie her shoes, swim or ride a bike, I am still, and will always be your little girl. You not may be teaching me life lessons day-by-day now, but everything you have taught me I will keep in mind as I continue my journey through this roller coaster of a life. So this one is for you, Dad. Even though I do not say this often enough, thank you for everything, Dad. Thank you for all of the sacrifices you have made for me. I love you.
Love forever and always,
Your little girl
