Dear Daddy,
In August, I said goodbye. We packed up the car and headed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where I will spend the next four years of my life. It wasn’t forever but it was a goodbye, and you know how I am with goodbyes -- I hate them. They are terrible. Somehow, though, knowing you were only two and a half hours away made the world of difference in this goodbye and I didn’t feel sad. Maybe it was the excitement of college and all the new things I was about to encounter. Maybe it was the chaos of moving. Maybe it was the high of being on my own. Maybe it was the commotion of having my own place to decorate and get ready. Whatever it was, you were with me through the whole process, so when we had to say our last goodbyes until the next time, I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t scared. I didn’t want you stick around forever, because I knew I needed to do this on my own. I had to conquer the world. Or at least the world of college.
I settled into college life quite well, minus a few bumps in the road. It wasn’t a full goodbye that we had to say -- we still FaceTimed and texted. You still felt near to me. I loved that. I’m a daddy’s girl and I don’t care who knows. I have spent the last 18 years being the only child, so spending time with you and Mom came naturally to me. I loved it and when I left for college I wasn’t quite sure what I would do with myself. I made it though. Throughout first semester with a few trips home, I made it. I got through the last classes, my first LDOC, and then came five whole weeks of being at home, spending time with you. I was so excited but that time flew by. By the end of the five weeks, I was so ready to go back to college, having my own schedule and not just hanging out at home. I new I would miss you but I though it would be just like August. It wasn’t. For some reason, the second semester has flown off and started to be amazing, just like the first semester, maybe even better. The only difference? I miss you so much more. It’s not that I didn’t miss you first semester, but I was caught up in all of the “newness” of college. Now, however, I’m struggling with the fact that you are so far away. You seem further away than two and a half hours. Sometimes I don’t know what to do with myself. I know summer will be here before I know it, though, and I will be home for three months. I’ll dread and exclaim for August to come, all at the same time.
In the meantime, though, Daddy, I want to thank you. Thank you for teaching me to be independent. Thank you for teaching me every lesson that you wanted me to learn. Thank you for letting me learn some things on my own. Thank you for supporting me in everything I do. Thank you for loving me through everything, even those awkward teenage years. Thank you for letting me play grown up with you at work. Thank you for the endless amounts of hours that you spent at work to give me the live we have. Thank you for being the bad guy when I needed it most. Thank you for being the good guy even when I didn’t deserve it. Thank you for teaching me to drive. Thank you for teaching me patience, even though I am still working on it. Thank you for having patience with me all the time. Thank you for teaching me commitment. Thank you for teaching me about work ethic. Thank you for helping me with endless school projects. Thank you for building me things to make my life easier and thank you for teaching me how to build these things. Thank you for everything you have done for me, Daddy. I am not sure what I would have done if I lost you fourteen years ago. Thank you for not giving up on yourself. I cherish the memories we have made and cannot wait for the memories to come. I love you, Daddy, and no matter what, you’ll always be my number one.
Love,
Your little girl
