There is not a day that goes by where I am not proud to be like my dad.

My dad is one of the best people I know. In every way. From a young age, I could tell that I wanted to be as much like him as possible when I got older. He was a superhero to me then, he’s a superhero to me now. He inspires me every day, and I’m proud to be like him.

I never thought that I would end up actually being similar to my dad as I got older. I always thought that we were at two different ends of the spectrum: he’s confident, fearless, and forward, and I’ve always was nervous, shy, and hesitant. We seemed like two completely different people.

I can distinctly remember telling myself that I could never be like him. He was everything that I thought I could never be. I’d never be able to get out of my head, never able to be as confident as he was when he went about his everyday life. Something he always managed to do, without a doubt, was to not care about what others think. What does it matter what they think, he would say. They’re not the ones who matter.

He was right. Learning this and holding it true to myself has only helped me grow into a better person. Looking back on it, I can see how I’ve grown to be more like him. I’m more self-assured, confident, and most important of all, I’m happier.

Something else that I love that I got from my dad is, without a doubt, our sense of humor. His quick wit and jokes at every point of the conversation has never failed to get some sort of reaction out of me. It doesn’t matter if it’s a laugh, smile, or even just a roll of the eyes. The point of a joke is to get a reaction out of someone. This, I’ve learned, after hearing it all throughout my life. I do have to say, I now appreciate punny, clever, witty, and even simple jokes. Not only that, but I’ve also been able to be quick to the punch with my own friends in our own conversations. Nothing compared to his quality, of course, but it’s a good start.

My dad is someone who I can talk to about anything. The conversations he’s had with me about not letting other people get to me, about whatever drama was going on in my life at the time, about any insecurities I’ve had, have forever impacted my life. He is my rock, my shoulder to cry on, and always there for me when I need him. Whenever I need something to make me laugh, I can always count on him to be there with some quick wordplay from our conversation. Or, if things need to be serious, he can be serious. I can discuss politics and ongoing topics of debate with him now as a young adult. As I’ve become older and more aware of things around me, our conversations have developed into more educated and meaningful ones. But don’t get me wrong- the meaningless drama talk is still there. He’s helped me grow into the young woman that I am today. It’s times like now, in the heat of the semester, where I really miss being around my dad.

I love being just like my dad. I love seeing him in myself every day. I miss him. I love my dad.