There are so many things I wish I could have shared with you, so many memories I wish I could have made with you, and so many inside jokes we will never get to share again. All I can do is thank you for everything you have done for me.

You were more than just a dad to me. You were the 'Bubba' to my 'Big Time.' But most importantly, you were my best friend.

You were the one who always said going to the movies after school was so much more important than homework, and to this day I still abide by these words of wisdom. I still remember all of our trips to the Amish market where we got a few too many candies, which became the cause of many unwanted trips to the dentist to treat my cavities.

I even remember those times you held on for dear life as you tried to teach me how to drive. You and Mom used to get so frustrated that I could not remember which pedal was the brake and which was the gas.

All of these days still cross my mind. I still chuckle every time you would let me go late to school so I could sleep a little longer. I wish that was still the case.

I wish you had seen me off to prom just so you could have warned me for the hundredth time to stay away from boys because they have cooties. I wish you could have seen me jump at championships my senior year, you would have been so proud at how much I listened to the pointers you gave me - and I even placed third! I wish you would have seen me cross that stage on graduation.

I know you may have gotten the best view from heaven, but sometimes that doesn't substitute the front row you would've got if you were there.

Despite all the things I wish you could have been at, I thank you for helping me get this far. You taught me some of life's irreplaceable lessons.

Sometimes I think I never got the chance to say goodbye on purpose. Maybe God knew my heart could not stand to see you go. Maybe I was meant to be on a track that day because it was the place where we shared a lot of our memories.

Everything happens for a reason, but somehow I think you coming into my life was one of those things I never thought I needed. You came into my life for a greater purpose than anyone, even I, could ever fathom. You brought tons of laughter, loudness, and even Skip-Bo into my life.

I hope every day that I never forget you. I pray every night that the memories never leave. I never thought I would lose my protector and my favorite person to lean on when some days were heavier than others or a laugh was just needed to get me through the hour. Even when nothing gets better or the days just can't get any brighter, I still think of you.

Three years without you have felt like an eternity.