I never thought my family would ever change. I thought we would stay the way we were forever. I had two perfect parents who were very much in love. But one of the things I learned pretty fast was that, sometimes, the unthinkable can happen.

My siblings and I were pretty young when my mom passed away. Losing our mother was the most heart-wrenching thing we ever had to deal with. She simply lit up any room she walked into. While we were mourning our mother, my dad was mourning the love of his life and best friend.

Losing someone you love is never easy. My mom was the most amazing soul. She plays a big part in who I am today, but another person who does that is my dad, too. My dad was there to help us make sense of it all. He tried to bring our lives back to normal as much as it could be. Thankfully, he did have help from other family members, but we definitely weren't the easiest.

Imagine taking care of two 15-year-olds and a 9-year-old. I would have nightmares about something like that.

After every setback my dad has ever had, he continued to push through and be the best parent he could be. I aspire to have the amount of strength my dad has.

I just wanted to take the time to thank my dad for everything he has done.

I am so honored to be your daughter. I am so thankful to have a dad who loves me and to have someone I can go to about anything. You never fail to remind me that I can do anything I set my mind to. I have changed my major more times than I can count, but you always supported whatever I wanted to do.

Thank you for supporting my writing. I know you'll always be my number one fan. Thank you for supporting every dream I have and cheering me on. I knew every concert and event I participated in, you would be in the front row, no matter what. You would do anything for your kids.

I can say with no hesitation and a smile on my face that my dad is my hero.

I couldn't do this life without you, and I know it wasn't easy, but all I can say is thank you and I love you.