Dear Daddy,

Everyday our lives seem to get farther away from the days when I woke up in my cozy, little bed on Saturday mornings at home to the smell of you cooking breakfast or when I could sit up talking with you until two am on a school night just to tell you all about the latest highschool drama. Everything is moving so quickly now that I am in college. Everyone warned me not to blink because of how fast time would fly and I'm quickly realizing, they were right. My freshmen year felt like it passed by faster than I could even spell the word freshmen. I didn’t seem to understand that once time started to fly, it feels like it will never stop. I can’t believe I’m about to start my sophomore year of college. It seems so surreal that soon I will be able to settle down, get married, and find myself a big girl job. The adult life is at my fingertips and I'm more scared than ever before.

In light of all these changes, I wanted to take the time to tell you that no matter what, somewhere inside of me, I will always be the little girl that sits in your lap. I’ll always be that little girl you used to hold on the front porch at night when I was sick. I will always be the little girl that went swimming with you while attempting to learn all the correct techniques. I will always be the little elementary age girl who loved to listen to Maroon 5 and Missy Elliott while you drove me to school. Most importantly, I will always be your company when your lonely, your biggest admirer and your absolute best friend.

A life without you, Dad, would be impossible. There are so many ways that you have made life bearable and although it would be impossible to name them all, I wanted to remind you of some. First of all, you are the reason I have huge feet. Honestly compared to your size 16 feet, I guess I should be thankful that I made it out with only a size 11, but people have referred to me as Sasquatch, so thank you. On a more serious note, you are the true reason that I have learned how to love. Watching the way you loved and cared for mom through her cancer and all the changes it brought on her, I know how precious true love can be. In my lifetime, I have seen you reach to the end of the world to try to keep the person you loved the most alive as long as possible, and the sacrifice in that act is undeniably amazing. You are the reason I appreciate music and can tell if a singer didn't hit the high note. You are the reason I enjoy being out on the lake and the reason I try to be brave. You are the reason I have such a tender heart and love to please everyone I care about. All in all, you are simply the reason that I am the woman that I have grown and am still growing to be.

Everyday since mom passed, you have had to take on two roles. Being a single parent is not an easy task, but you make everything flow so naturally. Anyone looking from the outside wouldn’t even realize all the weight you hold on your shoulders because of the ease that you carry it all with. You are an amazing mom. You are an amazing dad and all together you are just an amazing man.

Thank you for letting God guide you through your life and being open to all the twists and turns he had planned. You’re irreplaceable and I hope you know that. No man that I find could ever replace the spot you have in my heart. You were and always will be the first love I knew.

I love you forever and always,

Madison Alyssa