Dear Dad,

I don't know if you heard, but it's your birthday. Wowza, right? And since it is in fact your birthday, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to say two words that I don't say enough: thank you. There are so many things that I want to thank you for, but people tend to lose interest in articles at around word 500, so I'll keep this pretty simple.

Thank you for always having my back. Whether you were coaching me in basketball or cheering me on from the audience at my shows, you have always been my biggest supporter. If I was working on a song and I needed an audience, you were there. If I needed help studying for a big exam, you were there. If I didn't know how to fill out a W4, you were there (I still don't know how to fill out a W4). You made leaving the nest for college so much easier because I knew, without a doubt in my mind, that you would be there to catch me if I fell. So thank you for having my back even when no one else did.

Thank you for always making me laugh. You are, truly, the king of dad jokes but I love you even more for it. Your sense of humor is beyond compare and you always know how to put a smile on my face. I never laugh harder than when I am with you. Whether it is when you absolutely butcher lyrics to popular songs or make one of your many puns, your jokes always make me laugh until I cry. Never lose that sense of humor, it's one of the things I love most about you.

Thank you for teaching me how men should behave. I honestly can't remember a day when you didn't come home, give Mom a kiss (much to the dismay of my brothers and I), and ask her how her day was. Though that seems like such a trivial gesture, the impact was great. Ever since I was little, I wanted someone to treat me like that, and I wouldn't settle for anything less. When I was making a series of horrible decisions in the dating department, and dating guys that probably didn't deserve a minute of my attention, you kept reminding me that I deserve to be to treated not just like a princess, but a queen.

Thank you for always reminding me that there is nothing more important than family. Whether my brothers and I were all living at home, or we were all living apart, you never let us forget that we could always come home and that no one will ever love us as much as you and Mom do. I don't think our family would be nearly as close as we are without the foundation of love and affection that you and Mom have spent your last 30 years of marriage building.

Thank you for always protecting me. Throughout my entire life, you have protected me from all the monsters, whether literal or figurative. When I was hurt worse than I had ever been hurt before, you held me as I cried and kept telling me that everything we would be alright. You got me the help that I desperately needed without question of cost or time. You shielded me from all the bad thoughts and feelings and you promised that you would never let anyone hurt me like that again. I really don't think I could have come out of that horrible period as strong as I did without you, so thank you for picking up the pieces when I was broken.

Thank you for showing me what unconditional love is. Even when I wasn't always the easiest child and I wasn't nearly as respectful to you as I should have been, you never stopped loving me. Even when we would fight because I was being a jerk, you never stopped loving me. Even when you didn't approve of the decisions I was making, you never stopped loving me. You have more compassion and empathy than any other person I know. So thank you for always loving me, no matter what.

I don't know what I did right to deserve a Dad like you, but I do know that I am the luckiest daughter in the world. I am so glad that we have grown so close over these last few years and I know that we will only grow closer from here. Thank you for being so amazing, and most importantly, thank you for being the best Dad in the world.

Happy Birthday Daddy.

Love,

Your Little Girl