To the First Man To Ever Love Me,

Hi there! I'm sure you were confused to why I may have tagged you in this for you to read, especially after reading the title of the article. You probably assumed I was writing about my first "serious" boyfriend in high school or maybe even thought this was dedicated to a relationship that I am currently in. However, you would be wrong because today this letter is about you, Dad.

So here it goes.

Dear Dad,

I know I never show you how much I appreciate everything you have done for me my whole life or what you continue to do for me today. I know you see how close I am with mom and I know it may bother or even hurt you. No matter how close to mom I seem I want you to know that I feel just as close to you as I do to her.

My whole life you have shown me what it's like to be strong. You have taught me everything from how to cope with all kinds of pain, whether it was from a softball game or a stupid boy I trusted with my heart. When you were really sick not too long ago and couldn't be strong, I knew that from everything you had taught me, I would have enough strength for the both of us. So thank you for showing me that I can be a fighter and that nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

From day one you have been my biggest supporter. You supported me through everything: Twelve years of softball, eight years of my singing (school concerts, musicals, my personal car performances I always give you at the family discount rate, etc.) and many other things. Even when I transferred Universities you were upset with me at first (probably because you know how long I take in the bathroom getting ready and now you had to deal with that again) but I knew no matter what I chose to do you would be there for me rooting on the sidelines like you always have.

Love is a tricky thing. I've always doubted what love may actually be and sometimes I wondered if someone would ever actually love me one day. However, I have always been certain that one man in my life has always loved me, and that's you, dad. You have showed me love in so many ways. From the way you treat mom like she's a princess and how you would never let anything hurt her. From the way you are willing to help anyone that needs it no matter how annoying they are. To even when we are fighting and after our uneventful silent treatments we give to each other or our awkward glances, you always show me how much you really love me by forgiving me for whatever stupid thing I did that week. Or simply just sharing the last Swiss-Roll with me because you feel like it.

You inspire to me to be great and I only hope I make you proud every day. Even though I really don't show it as much as I should, I really do appreciate everything you do for me. I love you with my whole heart daddy and don't you dare ever forget that, no matter what.

Love,

Daddy's Little Girl