First Things First
Thank you. Thank you for stepping up as a man, putting your needs and wants to the side, and giving me the best life possible. Not everyone gets a significant male figure, much less a dad, in their life. So trust me when I say that I am forever grateful to have you in my life.
Support
Throughout my life you have always supported me financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally. You showed up to every sporting event. It didn't matter if it was a practice or a tournament 8 hours away - you were there to take me. You even took me when I was injured and couldn't play, but could watch, and there you were driving me to another game. You were, and still are, my rock when I hit rock bottom. You pick me up when I am down. You push me to do better. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today.
The Jokes
Thank you for the countless joking. Whether I am having a bad day or not, you are always there with the typical dad jokes. You can turn a bad experience into a better one by just saying, "Some days you're the dog, some days you're the fire hydrant." I enjoy our countless laughs and the random pictures we send each other while I'm at school. It always puts a smile on my face. And if I do say so myself, your jokes are a hit at school and everyone thinks I'm just a little bit funny.
The Mentality
As I grew up, you held me to high standards; standards that I sometimes just hated because I knew I wasn't going to reach them. But then, you taught me how to reach them. You showed me how to be the best version of myself. You showed me how to work hard and that when I worked hard, I got what I wanted. I don't think everyone gets taught this. They don't get shown how to work hard for things. They expect to be given what they ask for, but you... that's not how you work. That's not how our family works, so it wasn't going to be how I worked. So instead you pushed for me to do better and better - and now that I look back, I am so thankful for that.
The Reason
You are the reason I am the way I am. You raised me the right way. I can't wait to have kids of my own someday because I know what to do. I know what standards to hold them to. I know how to be a loving, genuine person because of you. I know how to always succeed in life because of your mentality. I know how to be the person that people come to when they need comforted because you were my rock. I know how to break the ice with a joke because of you. All of me is because of you. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't say it enough, but also, I love you.
