Dad, Father, Daddio, Padre, Daddy, Bad Brad, Camp Boss,

I love how many names you respond to and the fact that you came up with the last two yourself. Dad, we’ve been through a lot and I’m so blessed that we have many more years and memories ahead of us. From the late-night cereal snacks, to you picking me up from falling off my bed when I was little and tucking me in, to the recent loft construction project, you’ve always had my back. I love that we share the same sweet tooth, though yours is more severe than mine. I love when you text me, the funny jokes, comments, or even lines you’ve made up to go into my writing. I can picture you sitting on the couch, patiently typing away on your flip phone, the one that you “tweeter” with (even though it doesn’t even have a camera). I love when you play your guitar and the faces you make.

Whenever you talk about your past jobs, I feel so proud and loved to know that you’re my Dad. You’ve been through so much to make sure that I had a different childhood from yours. It might not always seem that I love your protectiveness, but I appreciate it because I have a Dad who would fight for my happiness, no matter what. Even though I’m away at college most of the year, I always find things that remind me of you. Whenever I come home, I can always count on my favorite things with you: ice cream, waffles, Nesquick, brownies (can you see a pattern?), Food Network, GSN, and many more. You even let me take over your TV and watch the cheesy Hallmark movies at Christmas time, the ones where the unpopular girl becomes popular and catches the eye football star and they live happily ever after, as you say. I love when you go and lay down, saying you’re going to “read” for a bit, your code word for a nap, when you pretend to win at Wheel of Fortune, after Mom has just stated the correct answer to the puzzle, and your ability to fix anything and everything. This letter doesn’t even scratch the surface of my love and appreciation for you, but I thought you should know that there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t realize how lucky I am to have you as my dad. I hope anyone reading this is able to think of someone who loves them as fiercely and whole-heartedly as my Daddy loves me because everyone deserves to have that kind of love in their lives.

Love,

your "prettiest girl in the whole, wide world"