Dear Padre,

Let me start by saying, without you I wouldn't be where I am today. You have helped me become someone who cares so much for others. You have shown me that being gentle is not a weakness. I appreciate that we are a part of a family that shares hugs and silliness whenever I come home from college. And I appreciate knowing it is okay to cry over goodbyes and bad times. You only know you miss someone when you realize how much it hurts when they are away.

Saying goodbye this last fall was extremely difficult for me. My brothers had already been avoiding the topic of my leaving, but when the time finally came and I thought it would be easy, I struggled. It was harder than I could've ever imagined to say a temporary goodbye to you and my family that cares so much for me. But because of the things you taught me growing up, I have become the person I want to be in college. I hope that getting to share the kind of love and kindness I was shown in our home has an impact on the people I meet in college.

Next, there are a thousand small things to thank you for, but here are a few exceptional ones. Thank you for sharing Mississippi State with me. I know that I did not originally want to or plan on going there, but I realize how lucky I am now to be able to share a passion for State with you. Go dawgs! You raised me an MSU fan, and now I get to continue being one. I value getting to come home and talk about both the old and new happenings around campus and Starkville with you. Thank you also for sharing a love for sports with me. I couldn't begin to imagine a world without Predators and Titans games growing up! In fact, quarantine has been brutal without sports to watch. But thank you for sharing a love of sports on the sidelines of all my soccer games, track and swim meets, and even tee-ball way back when! It makes all the difference to hear your dad supporting you (and occasionally arguing with the referees) from the stands.

Thank you for sharing your generous appetite and treating me to steak every time I come home. My extremely developed regard for food and the way it taste comes from you being the best chef ever. If you still dream of opening a BBQ place one day, I hope that you get that opportunity. You work so hard and I am so lucky to have a dad that does everything in his power to make my life the best it can be.

Finally, thank you for sharing laughs with me. On the hardest days, when boys break my heart, when I don't succeed, when friendships fall through, I have you to be my rock. God blessed me so much when he gave me you as a dad. To quote the mug that the whole family uses for coffee in the morning, "I have the best dad. If I had a different dad, I would punch him in the face and go find you."

I love you Padre. Happy Fathers Day! You deserve this day and more.

A silly iconic tongue out picture :)