I want to address this to my father; A faithful man to his wife and a faithful man to his family. I believe that parents are friends that you can't get rid of. My dad is my friend first and dad second.
He has taught me a range of things including how to change a tire, to how to apply for a job, to picking the right boyfriend. There is one thing that my father has taught me that I truly believe I will remember forever and will continue to teach my children one day when he is no longer here to tell them himself.
My father taught me what a friend is. I remember I was a freshman in high school, just had my first fight with my friend at the time and didn't know whether to continue the friendship. I looked to my dad for help and he told me what he has continued to say since then.
He said, "A friend is someone who asks how you are, no matter how busy they may be. A friend is someone you can call at 2:00 a.m., saying you need help and they will come help you, no questions asked."
My father taught me that nothing matters more than relationships -- relationships with anyone: friends, family, employers, teachers. For myself, the most important relationship I could have was with my family. My family means the world to me. I look to my mother and father for guidance and for ideas on how I will one day raise my own children, and I can only hope to do as well of a job raising them as my parents have done for my brother and I. My mom and dad understood that not only were they raising a child, they were raising someone's friend, someone's student, and someone's future wife and mother. My mom and dad taught me respect and taught me many life lessons I will carry in my heart forever.
I am my father's only daughter and he has given me nothing but endless opportunities to make myself a better human being. He has gifted me with the freedom and courage to be myself. He has gifted me with a home to be endlessly loved in. He has gifted me with the ability to understand what a true, humble, and faithful father looks like -- and because of this, I am forever in his debt, for my father has gifted me with non-materialistic things that no simple "thank you" could ever suffice.
I look back to 9th grade and I now realize that not everyone is your friend -- that people are your acquaintances. I typically don't throw around the word "friend" easily, but my father is my friend. He is a man with road rage, a bad smoking habit and a niche for finding great bourbon. He places his life in the hands of God and lets that lead him to where he must go. He is a loving father, husband and someone who could definitely talk your ear off all night. He is a smart man. He is a mathematician. He is an engineer. He is my friend.
This one's to you, Todd.
