This past weekend was my dad's birthday. We spent his birthday going to a play together and having a great time. I know there are people who are not close with their fathers, step and birth and adoptive, and I want to acknowledge that. We all have different relationships with our parents, adults, our peers, etc. But if you do connect with what I'm saying, then please send your father figure a text, give him a hug, send him some flowers. But first. Thank you, Dad.

Thank you for being there when I got my period for the first time, and laughing with me as we tried to figure out what tampons were.

Thank you for always coming to pick me up from school, even though it would only take me 10 minutes to walk home.

Thank you for empowering the athlete within me.

Thank you for coming to all my volleyball, basketball, gymnastic, softball, lacrosse, horse back riding, and theater productions, games, and tournaments.

Thank you for encouraging the artist within me.

Thank you for reading all my papers for grammar mistakes, sentence structures, and flow.

Thank you for being puzzled with me when we encountered a math problem that neither one of us got.

Thank you for showing me how to cook.

Thank you for breaking down gender roles for me, and showing that a dad can do whatever a mom can, and vice versa.

Thank you for sitting with me when I cried in our living room for hours after my first real boyfriend broke up with me.

Thank you for making me laugh.

Thank you for being gentle, even though I wasn't always gentle towards you.

Thank you for going with me to get my first dog, and my latest.

Thank you for being honest with me, always.

Thank you for nurturing my sensitive side, and telling me that showing my feels is never wrong.

Thank you for being there when I took my first breath.

Thank you for growing, because it showed me that we never stop becoming better people.

Thank you for sharing your lactose intolerance gene, I really appreciate it.

Thank you for following all your dreams, from advertisement, to photographer, to therapist. You showed me that we're allowed to have more than one dream.

Thank you for being my Buddhist expert. I am thankful Naropa has welcomed you with such open arms.

Thank you for being an amazing Dad. Not to toot my own horn, but you're pretty great.

I love you now, and I will forever love you. I hope you're ready for countless more adventures, laughs, tears, and puppies. Fifty-two never looked so good -- except on Mom. She looks pretty damn hot, too.