I really got lucky in the parent category: my mom is an amazing woman who is an even more incredible mother and my dad is the most caring, kind, and hardworking person I know who always puts his children first and makes sure that they are happy before himself. Mother's Day came and went, and now it's time to celebrate all the fathers that love us, support us, and put us first always. Here is my little thank you to my own super incredible father, whom I love very much.

Dad,

Just like this Mother's Day was Mom's eighteenth, this Father's Day is a huge milestone for you, so congratulations on making it this far!

Our relationship is something I really pride myself on. We are so so close, and always have been. As a little girl, I always looked up to you for guidance, and you have always offered both that and an unbelievable amount of support to both me and Andy, so thank you for that. Even now with me in Boston, and you back at home, we have managed to maintain the closeness of our relationship, talking on the phone almost daily when I am away at school.

I have so much to be thankful for when it comes to you.

Thank you for always showing me the right way to do things. Thank you for being my built in entertainment and letting you be the butt of some of the funniest family jokes. Thank you for all that you've taught me about fishing and the ocean and boating and life. Thank you for always telling me how important I am and how proud you are of me. Thank you for believing that I could survive in Boston and thank you for listening each time I called you with a new problem or story or experience. Thank you for always putting your family first, while also working harder than anyone I know to make sure Andy and I have everything we could ever want. Thank you for teaching me the value of hard work and how to drive, even though I thought I knew more about driving than you did. Thank you for the countless hours you and I spent driving up to, back down from, or at the horse farm. Thank you the conversations we've shared over breakfast omelettes, just the two of us. Thank you for all the campfire lit nights beneath Michigan's shinning stars in our favorite campground. Thank you for always pushing me hard, but not too hard.

Mostly, thank you for being a father that I can brag to my friends about.

This past Sunday was our day to celebrate you but believe me when I say that one day is not enough. You should be celebrated everyday. Sometimes I forget to express how thankful I am for you and I'm sorry for that. Just know that I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.

I love you.

Happy Father's Day!