I love Father's Day, in case you couldn't tell by the dancing letters above.

Let me preface this by saying the following two things:

1. I have spent the past 20 years being raised by incredible parents and I love them to the moon and back. Everything they have ever done since having my brother and I in the 90's has been to benefit us and to give us a better future.

2. I have a terrible memory. Have you ever seen Finding Nemo or Finding Dory for that matter? Yeah, it's awful.

With that being said, birthday parties, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc., are always terrible for me. I usually have a few thoughts that constantly run through my head when I'm thinking about what to buy a loved one for a special day. Even if I've known you my whole life, I'm terrible at buying gifts. These are the 5 thoughts that surely always come to my mind when Father's Day comes around:

1. Wait, Father's Day is this Sunday? THIS SUNDAY?!

Okay, I know what you're thinking. It always falls on the 3rd Sunday of June...I promise that I know that and I also circle the day in my agenda so that I don't accidentally plan anything on that day but still...this day always creeps up on me. I think it might be the fact that May and June are a blur because I'm trying to recover from a crazy academic year (that's what I'll blame it on for now).

2. What did I get him last year?

Like I mentioned earlier, I have the memory of a fish. Ask anyone who knows me well, that's a fact. I always have to think about last year's gifts so I don't awkwardly repeat something. He wouldn't mind though, mostly because he loves me.

3. Well, he loves tools and coffee...but, he has excessive amounts of both at home.

My dad loves to build and remodel everything and anything. He has so many tools though, so it's incredibly difficult to add something else to his impressive collection. We both love a good cup of coffee, but whenever Wegmans has a new shipment of Café Bustle, it's immediately transported to my kitchen island (sorry to everyone else who loves that coffee...you've gotta be faster than dad).

4. Does he have this drill bit set already?

Going along with my last point...dad has so many tools. He could open up his own Home Depot. Ever since I was a little kid, I've loved to use power tools (dangerous thought, I know). The issue is the fact that he most likely already has six of the same drill bit set somewhere in the garage.

5. I need to steer clear of the Home Depot.

I'm like my dad in many ways. If I see something is on clearance, I'll buy it just because it's on sale, and so will he. I'm convinced that it's a hereditary thing. With that being said, Home Depot is a dangerous place for me because I love home improvement projects and I get carried away with things...especially the clearance end-cap.

All in all, I love Father's & Mother's Day...it's actually one of my favorite days of the year. My dad has taught me many things: how to tie my shoes, how to use a drill and hammer, how to respect myself, how to live with peace and integrity, how to make a good cup of coffee, and the list goes on and on.

To all the dads out there, and to the moms, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles who play a dual role: you are loved. Not just on the 3rd Sunday of each June, but on every single day.