Dads. What would we ever do without them? There's nobody else better at embarrassing you in public but there's also nobody better at giving you a helping hand. Dads often don't get the recognition they deserve, so in honor of Father's Day, here's a letter for my dad.

Dear Dad,

Thank you. Thank you for all that you've ever done for me. You've been there for me since the beginning and I couldn't think of a better man to look up to. Thank you for always making sure that our family is taken care of and that we have everything we need and then some. Thank you for being a best friend to me. I'm thankful that I have your sense of humor and sarcasm and that you're someone I can complain to about Mom (love you, Mom). Thanks for teaching me how to fish and how to drive and for dancing around the living room with me when I was little ,and thanks for sharing your love of chocolate and ice cream with me.

Thank you for sharing your love of sports with me. My life wouldn't be the same without sports and I'm thankful for the evenings spent in the living room with you watching the ball game. I still remember waiting for you to come out of the locker room when I was little so that I could tell you that I made my first shot with a basketball. Thank you for being my coach both on and off the court. You were always harder on me and I thank you for that; You were just pushing me to be the best player that I could be. Nothing can top the feeling of hugging you after our last game together and having you tell me how proud you were of me.

Thank you for loving Mom and loving God. Thank you for always working hard at whatever you're doing and for setting a good example for us. You're a great example of how a husband should treat his wife and kids and I hope to marry a man like that someday. I hope that my brother (and son if I have one someday) grows up to be just like you.

Thank you for always pushing me to do my best and being one of my biggest fans. Whether it was on the softball field, at a swim meet, on the basketball court, classroom or just life in general, thank you for wanting me to be the best I could be. Thank you for always believing and having faith in me, even when I don't believe in myself.

Thank you for the countless hours you've spent driving me to and from practices and for chasing me all over the country for sports. Thanks for all the little things you do, like for always hanging up my picture frames or changing the oil in my car. Thanks for trying to help me with my homework, even when I got mad at you because you didn't understand it either. Thank you for continuing to catch for me even after I hit you in the shin with a fastball.

Thank you for trying to understand where I'm coming from as a girl. Whether it's talking about friend drama or complaining about boys, you (almost) always listen and at least pretend to understand where I'm coming from. Thanks for never being too embarrassing and for actually allowing me out of the house to go on dates.

And most importantly, thank you for always loving me for me. I couldn't ask for a better man to call 'Dad.'

Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.