To My Absent Father,

First off, as crazy as it may sound, I want to thank you.

Thank you for all of the times that you chose literally anything else over your family. Thank you for when it came to school functions, such as daddy/daughter dances or family functions, birthday parties, etc. you were nowhere to be found.

Growing up, you were prone to making promises you could hardly keep.

Like saying you'd be somewhere but would never show up. For the longest time, I was so confused as to why I didn't get to have a daddy around but all the other kids did. I always asked myself,

"Was it something I did?"

"Does he just not love me?"

But the toughest question to swallow was, "How could someone who claimed to love you, just up and walk out of your life?"

These questions resonated with me for years and created one broken person. It wasn't until recently that I finally understood that it wasn't me, it was you.

You were the problem.

You didn't see what you had when it was right in front of you.. until it was gone.

I do want to set the record straight and say I didn't write this letter with the sole purpose of belittling you or to make you look like a monster, but quite the opposite.

I want to thank you for never being there when I needed you because it has shown me who's actually been there for me all along. Which, more than anyone, was my mom and stepdad. I am so blessed to have someone as strong as her as a role model. I'm also so thankful to have a father figure that stepped in when you had already tapped out.

I'm thankful for your absence because it showed me what love is supposed to be like and what it's not. I vow that when I have a family of my own, I will never show them the love you have shown me. I will always be there for them when they need me, I will always show them how deeply I care and love them, and most importantly, I'll never leave.

Because of you, I walked through some pretty dark times, and it showed me that even though I might think that I am alone and have no one in my corner, I actually have a corner full of people waiting to pick me up and dust me off and tell me that everything is going to be okay.

Dad, if you're reading this and have disregarded everything I have said up to this point, please hear me out on this: Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I want you to know that I'm praying for you and that I forgive you.

Yours truly,

Your Daughter