Dear Dad,

To say that you have given me a blessed childhood, instilled a strong sense of values within my spirit and taught me some of the most valuable lessons of my life only begins to capture the effect that you have had on my life.

You and Mom are my best friends, my mentors and through your love, you gave Chris, Austin and I the most precious gift of all: life.

I am forever grateful that you are my father and that I have had you to teach me the value of hard work, the importance of positivity in times of distress and the beauty of living mindfully. You always seem to be thinking of how to help those around you and be taking time to appreciate the most simple pleasures in life. You have worked so hard to provide for our family and you did not become jaded by any challenges that you faced.

Your ability to find reason in all situations and help guide me through my hardships was monumental for me over these past years.

I cannot express in words how much love that I have for you and how much I appreciate every little thing about you. I love how happy you are to build fires in the winter, I love the way that you get Mom flowers to make her smile, I love the way that you are patient with us all, but still demand the best from us.

I love how much you love Hallmark Channel movies, I love your quirky humor on the weekends, I love your fascination with creating and your desire to always keep learning. I love your resilience and the deep kindness that resides in your soul and radiates through everything that you do. I love that you have always made our family your priority.

When I tell you that I love you to infinity and beyond, I mean it with all of my heart and soul. You truly are the best dad in the whole entire universe galaxy. You continue to always be here for me, from tucking me in every night in my childhood, coming to all of my dance recitals or plays or gallery shows, to now becoming a source of wisdom at my most pivotal crossroads in young adulthood.

I am so thankful to have you, Dad. I am so thankful for everything that you have done for us and I appreciate every ounce of love that you have poured into our beautiful family. You always make me feel valid, loved and worthy. When the time comes, I know that you will be the most amazing grandfather.

For now, I am excited to enjoy every precious moment that our family has to spend together and all of the memories that we have to make. Thank you, Dad.

Love,

Katie