There's nothing quite like the relationship between a father and a daughter. Unlike that of a father-son relationship, a father protects his daughter as if his life depended on it, whereas, like an unrelenting momma bird, he'll push his son out of the nest and hope to sweet baby Jesus that he can fly. I'm not in any way undermining the bond between a father and his son, but nothing quite compares to the connected kinship that a father and daughter share.

And, oh, do we have some sort of bond. When I was born, there was no doubting that I was your daughter. We share the same soft brown eyes, button nose, and rough hands. Physically, the similarities were uncanny, but, as I grew into my own person, I felt as if we couldn't be more different. You had the inconceivable ability to annoy me, embarrass me, and irk me like no other person on God's green Earth could. Imagine the Empire State building: each floor, 102 to be exact, represented something that agitated me, and you were the toddler that pressed every single button on the elevator. On purpose. For fun. Although you were always supportive of me, I found myself in a constant state of exasperation, waiting patiently for the next thing you were going to do to drive me absolutely insane. This wasn't one-sided though. In fact, I can sort of say that I was an antagonist, an instigator, if you will. I, much like you could annoy me, had a certain understanding of exactly what peeved you, and took full advantage of every opportunity I had to make your life a little more, let's say...interesting. A father and son share so many similar qualities, be it anatomy or interests, that I truly believed that best way to connect with you, or get your attention, was to annoy you to high heavens. The only problem with my tactic was that I didn't expect you to reciprocate.

As I've continued to grow up and become an "adult," I've realized, coupled with bouts of pure panic, that we are actually the same person. But, I don't panic at the fact that we have eerily similar personalities; I panic that I, a 19-year-old female, share so many of the same characteristics as my 56-year-old father. With that being said, if I had to be compared to any middle-aged person of the opposite gender, I'm sure glad it's you. You may have thought, as I progressed through adolescence, that every piece of advice you've ever given me, every joke that I failed to laugh at, and every lecture turned lesson that you tried to share with me went unnoticed, but that's not the case. Deep down, underneath my "Dad's lame" persona that I played all too well, was a girl who idolized you, and continues to do so to this very day. I recognize now that my capability to stand up for what's right, to never stand in silence when I witness a wrong, and to cherish my family and friends as if we don't have tomorrow are all qualities that I've received from you, and for that, I am forever grateful.

You can absolutely, 100% take back your hard-headedness, stubbornness, and inability to hold your tongue in the presence of stupidity, as those have gotten me into trouble a time or two. Just kidding, it makes life a little more interesting.

So, here's to you, Dad... or should I say, twin? You've successfully created a carbon copy of yourself, just with prettier hair and less annoying dad jokes.

"Love you big much,"

Your Little Girl