To begin, I must start by saying that I, despite being a child born and raised in the deep South, don't like country music. In fact, many who know me would say that I pretty much despise it. Years of exposure to the genre made me loathe it. This being said, there is one exception. I hold one country artist close to my heart: Sara Evans. An impressive vocalist, Sara Evans snatched my heart when I was little and, ever since then, I've been hooked. I love her, not just because of her music, but because of who introduced me to her, who I bonded with over her, and who has become an extremely important figure in my life: my father.

It all started when I was in elementary school. For the majority of my childhood, I was about as devious, malicious, hyperactive, and chaotic as a cartoon villain. I caused everyone grief; my parents, my friends, my teachers, and anybody that came in contact with me. I was a two-footed disaster, waiting for my chance to strike on anything and anyone. One day, when my father was taking me to school, he put on a CD that I hadn't heard before. Within the first few seconds of guitars strumming and fiddles blaring I could tell that it was a country album. I vividly remember being very unimpressed with this, but that was put to a stop when I heard the voice of (you guessed it) Sara Evans. After that, I quieted down a bit just so I could listen to the music. Of course, at that age, I couldn't really understand the lyrics or take in what they meant, but I still loved the way it sounded. The album? "Restless." The song? "Rockin' Horse."

Ever since that day, we listened to the "Restless" album every time my father drove me to school. Eventually, I became quite acquainted with many of the songs on the album. "Rockin' Horse," being the first I had ever heard, became one of my favorites. Some of the others are "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus," "Perfect," "To Be Happy," and "Suds in the Bucket." The latter on that list was an influential song; it helped me form a tighter bond with my father. It was the song that we listened to most when we drove to school and, soon, I learned the lyrics to it. In fact, to this day, I can still recall and sing every word. I still remember the day that I saw the music video for that song for the first time, too. It was a Sunday morning, my mother had just made breakfast, and my father and I were watching television. Soon enough the music video for the song came on.

"Look, Austin, that's Sara Evans! 'Suds in the Bucket,'" My father said, nudging me to get my attention. I turned around, staring at the television with intense concentration. I remember nearly everything of that video; Sara Evans signing in a barn, the mother and father being heartbroken, the preacher preaching, the beauties in the beauty shop, and the ending, in which Sara Evans graced us all with an amazing 10-second long note. When the video was over, me and my father talked about it for a few minutes, smiling brightly, elated by the song. I will never forget that day for as long as I live.

Sara Evans was also the first person I saw in concert. I don't remember how old I was, but I do remember my parents and I going to see her in Louisiana. It was a long drive, but family bonding and Sara Evan's sweet voice filled the time. When the concert started, I was probably the happiest I had been in a long, long time. We all were, actually, now that I think about it. At one point during the concert, Sara was singing and allowing people to give her a handshake or a high-five or whatever. When my father and I noticed, we both ran up to the stage as fast as we could. We didn't make it, unfortunately, which made us both pretty bummed out. It wasn't until we got into the car that we realized that at some point during our trek to get to the stage, I had injured my leg and was profusely bleeding. My parents were worried, but I wasn't. It didn't even hurt. All I could think about was the fact that I had just seen me and my father's favorite singer perform in person. When we were on the way home, I fell asleep almost instantly. My dreams that night were filled with images of me and my family having fun and listening to Sara Evans.

As time passed, I slowly started to forget about Sara Evans. My interests started to widen and soon the country songstress was out of my head. After I began high school, I didn't think of her once. She was just a distant memory to me. It wasn't until I was sitting in my dorm room in college that I remembered her. I was looking at my feet and I noticed that I had a scar on my foot. It was barely noticeable, a little itty bitty little thing. I scratched my head in confusion, trying to remember where it came from. Then it hit me; I got that scar during the Sara Evans concert after I cut my leg. The influx of memories came rushing in and I listened to Sarah Evans' music all night, until I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

On the way back from college for a break, my parents and I were listening to music. It was my turn to pick the song, and I knew exactly what I was going to play. I wish I could see my father's face one more time when he heard the familiar first few seconds of "Suds in the Bucket." He laughed, and then I laughed. It was the first time we had listened to Sara Evans in many years. That's another Sarah Evans memory I won't forget anytime soon.

If it wasn't for Sara Evans and her angelic voice, I'm sure my life would be just a little bit dimmer. I know for sure that me and my father would have one less thing to bond about, which would be a shame. It is with absolute certainty that I can say that Sara Evans and her music helped me and my father grow closer together. I know many people don't have the luxury of being close with their fathers, so, as each day passes, I find myself feeling thankful for that bond we share.

And I thank you, too, Sara Evans, for helping fortify that bond.

Thank you so, so much.