Hi Daddy,

You might not know this, but I’ve made a decision.

This decision regards both you and I.

After many years of loathing and bitter anger, I’ve decided to thank you and to love you.

First of all, I want to thank you for providing me the essentials—food, water, clothes on my back, and more than I’ll ever need or even ask for. Though you weren’t majorly involved in my life, I’d like to thank you for something else too: I’d like to thank you for showing me what not to look for in a man.

Without that, I don’t think I would’ve been able to figure out the qualities I hope to one-day find in the “man of my dreams”—with time, surrounding myself with good people, and other men who’ve taken over your role, the idea of what I want is slowly becoming clearer. So, thank you for that.

On to the next thing to thank you for… Thank you for showing me affection with articles I would enjoy: books, games, and cash.

Though when I was young, this was probably the best thing ever, yet as time marched on, the love for this grew more and more muddled—were you just buying me these things to make me love you? For years, I never understood it, but now… I’ve come to just accept it, and I’m grateful that you work hard in order to provide me with such a lifestyle. Honestly, thank you for that.

There’s one more thing I’d like to thank you for, Daddy.

Thank you for giving me such a strong mother as a role model; she goes through so much to pull all of us through (especially you) and it’s admirable, per se. She stepped up to the plate and played both roles, and taught me all she could, whether that was how to do my hair and be “lady like” or how to keep up a house. Though most importantly, she taught me to leave home, and to make a name for myself.

Even if you don’t really know how to properly show affection, and we may have the most non-existent relationship on the planet,

You are my father, and I choose to love you,

Even if you’re unsure on how to love me.

Sincerely,

Your Daughter