Dear Dad,
Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Nothing worth having comes easy." You are the epitome of this quote and the resemblance of every shred of evidence to support it. Everything you have accomplished in your life thus far has resulted from your astonishing work ethic. You strive for perfection in everything you set your mind to and you never shy away from the fear of striking out. I think this quality of yours is often overshadowed. You don’t receive nearly enough credit for this attribute of yours. This fierce mindset has helped you build an exceptional career and has provided our family with an unbelievable father figure. You work countless hours each day, but still manage to come home and accomplish even more tasks (most of which include fixing your children’s mistakes). You never saw a challenge you didn’t like.
Consequently, you have given each of your children an opportunity to succeed by engraining this work ethic into our own lives. After watching you tirelessly seek to improve our lives, I have realized this is not only a valuable skill set you naturally have acquired with time, but it also comes from the kindness of your heart as well. You don’t have to get up at 5 am to prepare our cottage for the upcoming day activities, but you do. You don’t have to take the time to edit my papers, but you do. And you definitely don’t have to give me countless second chances after continually failing to live up to my potential, but you do.
These qualities you possess have made you an extraordinary father, husband, and son to all your loved ones. You never cease to go the extra mile for us. Your consistency as a role model and father have given me priceless knowledge not only about how to succeed in my own career, but also how to succeed in life. So, thank you. You never hear those two words nearly enough, but we truly appreciate everything you do for us. You have been a beacon of hope for all of our futures and nothing we do in life will be able to repay you for that. Thank you for the late work nights, the countless dollars spent on my soccer career and education, and the endless support you have provided me throughout my life thus far.
I am the person I am today because of you. You have stuck by my side through the highs and lows, the negatives and positives, and the happiness and tears I have endured in my life. I can proudly say you have been to almost every soccer game I have ever played. Those games weren’t mandatory for parents, by any means, but you wanted to be there more than anything. I can’t thank you enough for having unending faith in my capabilities, boundless belief in my future, and infinite support to help me through adversity. I know you will always be my number 1 fan.
I love you.
Your daughter,
Steph (A.K.A. Boo Boo Bear)
