Dear Dad,
You are my hero. For 20 years, you have protected me, supported me and loved me unconditionally. No matter how old I get, no matter where life takes me, you will always be the most important man in my life. Much of who I am and hope to become, I owe to you.
1. You taught me to love and to be loved.
“Love isn’t something that we have. It’s something that we do.”
Love is eating the “heels” of bread, so that I can open up a new loaf. Love is carrying me on your aching shoulders because I was too tired to walk. Love is staying up all night to hem my graduation gown because I thought it was too big. Love is going into the frigid ocean water with me even though you would probably rather take a nap on the beach. Love is everything you do for me. Love is the time we spend together. Because of you, I know what it means to love. To love is to be selfless, to give a part of yourself to someone else.
I also know what it means to be in love, real love. This love is not what you see in a Nicholas Sparks story. Sometimes, it’s messy; there will be disagreements and frustration. However, despite the struggles, I never questioned your love for Mom. You respect her and encourage her; you laugh with her and cry with her; you are her best friend. You proved that happily-ever-after exists. I won’t settle until I find a person who loves me the way that you love Mom. I want to find my prince, my person, my best friend. However, when that day comes, the day when you walk me down the aisle, the day I say “I do,” always remember that I loved you first.
2. You taught me to be independent, confident and persevering.
Thank you for teaching me the practical things like how to solve a basic computer crisis, fix a leaky faucet, properly paint the house and most importantly, make the world’s best chocolate sauce. Odds are, I will still call you in panic when I can’t connect to the Wi-Fi or when the furnace makes a strange sound. But, I applaud you for trying to teach me the basics of household maintenance.
Thanks for encouraging me to play sports, for taking me to the hardware store, for teaching me to play poker when I was only nine and for introducing me to politics. Thank you for not treating me like a princess, but always making me feel like one. You never set limits and allowed me to grow into my own person.
Most importantly, you empowered me to believe that I could do anything that I set my mind to. You encouraged me to be competitive – to set a goal and to not let anyone or anything get in my way. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and the thought of making you proud continues to drive me every day.
3. You taught me to pursue happiness.
I’m amazed by your strength. You remain positive no matter what challenges life presents. I’ll never forget the late nights when you worked overtime or the weeks you had to travel for days at a time. You were exhausted, but you still took the time to coach my soccer team or play a game of cards. Your work ethic reminds me that anything worth having won’t come easy. You inspire me to continue to pursue my dreams, but to not forget to slow down and just enjoy a lazy morning or a late night binge-watching a show that we have most definitely watched before.
I may grow up and move away. I may forget to call sometimes. However, I promise you this: I will always remember our father-daughter time and I will never forget the lessons you taught me. Thank you for being the best dad that I could have ever asked for. But more importantly, thank you for being a best friend.
Forever and always,
Your little (brown-eyed) girl
P.S. I love you too, Mom. Your letter is coming.
