Dear father,
I always read in school that, "Your dad is the first man to ever love you." It's true though. My dad loved me with all his heart. He raised me to be a fantastic woman who is now out on her own. I make my own mistakes. I pay my taxes and collect debt in college all because I was raised knowing right from wrong. I was raised knowing that if anything happened to me I would have my daddy there to help me through it all. However, it's actually sad that I have to tell you all that because you weren't there for all of that. Father, you left. You left me to grow on my own. You stepped away and let another man take your place as head of the household. Years passed with not so much as a card from you because you were out living your own new life with your new family.
So why come back now. Why come back to boast your self-esteem as if this woman you see was you're doing? I'm that one percent chance that a dead-beat father would step up and come back. After all rights to me were gone, I never once thought that you would come back, but you did. You beat the odds. Yet, Father, you came back too late. I'm a grown woman now. I go to school now. I was raised right by someone else. He is my daddy. When things go wrong I want him, not you. When I get married I will want him to walk me down the aisle because he's held me up through everything. When I have kids I'll want to name them after him and not you.
You are my father, but your spot as head of the household was replaced. You will always hold a spot in my heart. When things get tough I will be there like any daughter would. I will love and cherish my new siblings and I will not leave them like you left me. I won't tell them that you walked away from me without a hint of regret because they don't deserve to know pain like I do. I will be there and I will partake in your family events. Understand though that you aren't my daddy. You are my blood. You gave me my life, but you didn't shape it.
It takes blood to be a father, but it takes guts to be a Dad. Father, I'm proud that you came to your senses and came back for me, but I'm ashamed that you waited until I was grown and on my own to do so. You don't realize how much my Dad sat up with me crying because I was scared he and mom would leave like you did. You don't realize how many nightmares I had because of you. You don't realize that I have trust issues and abandonment issues because of you. I get that you don't realize all this and I understand, but understand when big monumental moments happen in my life that you're not the one I will ask for. Understand that no matter how much we talk and try to make up for lost time that I will ALWAYS chose my Daddy over my blood.
Sincerley,
The Daughter you left
