What is a Father? By definition, a Father is supposed to mean a man who is in relation to his natural child, but just because someone shares the same blood as a child, does that make them a father? No, it doesn't make them a father. Being a father takes so much more than just having your sperm fertilize an egg. To me, a father is someone who is there to support you, love you, watch out for you, and give you guidance unconditionally. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am in respects to having an extraordinary father figure.

My father has supported my family tirelessly and has never once asked for recognition for it. He goes above and beyond to make sure that we want for nothing, and he does it proudly. By working long hours at night and only taking one night off a week to spend with our family, he does it all for us.

My Father's name is Ricardo Solomon, a 41-year-old Trinidad, and Tobago native, and although he had no part in my actual creation, that didn't matter to me. From the moment I came into this world, he made it his mission to make me feel as if he created me himself like we shared the same DNA.

In September of 2009, I was able to legally change my last name, which was something I had wanted for as long as I could remember. At this point in my life, I had already been living with and being taken care of by both him and my mom for roughly six years. So, to me, he was already my father, the man who took me to the bus stop every morning and dealt with all my moodiness. The man who bought me two pet guinea pigs and had them waiting for me when we got home from church on Christmas Eve. He was there for all my milestones, taking the training wheels off my bike, both getting my braces on and off, my first heartbreak, my high school graduation, my first college acceptance, and sending me off to school.

He, along with my mother, has made this possible, to go off to a school I have had my heart set on for forever, and support me no matter what sacrifices or hardships they have faced. He makes it look easy, after surviving not one, but two brain tumors and still being able to look at the world with a positive attitude and never giving up. Superman seems like a more fitting name for my dad. He is one of a kind, his work ethic, love for his family and friends, and his determination are all traits about him that I admire most. He is dependable, and a great listener because he is very quiet, so you can talk for hours and he will listen.

No amount of biological makeup could make him any more or less a part of me and my life. He is the man who will continue to be a part of all the milestones I have left in life and I am so lucky to have a father like him to show up for me.

To all the people that are reading this that can relate to my situation and have had a father figure step up, cherish them and be thankful for them. They are crucial in our lives and we have to let them know that no matter how much they swear we are not listening, we are and their love has not gone unnoticed.

Happy Father's Day to all of the Fathers out there, Mothers who are filling both roles, and the single Fathers supporting their families by themselves. We love you. We appreciate you. We notice your hard work and we salute you.