Dear Dad,

Although I am not your child biologically, you have never made me feel that way. Although we do not share the same bloodline, you still call me your own. Although we met after I came into this world, you’ve loved me since the day you entered my life.

First off, you stepped up to the plate, ready to bat and hit a homerun, even though you did not have to. When you married my mother, it was all something completely new to me and you. You did not have any parenting experience, but you were a very fast learner.

You helped teach me to tie my shoes, showed me how to bait my fishhooks, and how to shoot a gun. You were there for me when boys would break my heart, when I made a bad grade on a test, and when I broke bones.

Sometimes we had our differences and got mad at each other, but what child doesn’t disagree with their parents at times? We would fight over non-sense things like what we should name our new pet, or why my math teacher should be fired because you went to high school with him and didn’t like him.

We also have so much in common. More than I would ever really thought we would. We both love the outdoors. We both love to go camping. We both love having bonfires. We both love watching multiple sporting events. We both love The Walking Dead, Family Guy, and numerous other TV series. We also both love to just sit at home and watch Netflix occasionally.

You were always in the stands, right next to my mother, cheering me on. You attended every game, every competition, and sometimes even the practices. You’ve supported me in all the choices I made, even when I decided that sports were hurting my body more than helping.

As I’ve gotten older and moved out to attend college, our visits became more precious to the both of us because we both have fairly busy adult lives now. We definitely enjoy our Taco Bell lunch dates together on the days we get to meet up.

You’ve told me numerous times that all you want is for me to be happy, even if I was dating a guy you didn’t particularly like. You’ve always taught me to be independent, so that no one could say “it’s your loss” when they left my life. You’ve always taught me to be a hard-worker. You’ve always encouraged me to do my very best in college so I can live a comfortable life after I graduate.

You’ve always been a very forgiving person, but you never forget when someone has done you wrong. That is something the two of us have in common. Although I much more soft-hearted than you are most of the time, you’re definitely a kind person… until someone doesn’t deserve your kindness.

You’ve given me so much in the 16+ years we’ve known each other, but I think the best thing I’ve ever received from you is your unconditional love for the little girl that was not biologically yours, but is yours.

Love always,