"A girl's first true love is her father."
-Marisol Santiago

How does one reminisce and write about all the sacrifices made by their father in order to repay them for a lifetime of hard work, love and care? The simple answer is that you can't. I can't repay you, dad. There's no measurable way I can thank you for the many years you've put up with me and my shenanigans and still have you to support me through every joy and hardship I've endured. I can't count the amount of times you've selflessly gotten me out of a bad situation, taught me a life lesson or have helped me realize something this profound: that you are the only dad in the world who can put up with my crazy ass.

Dad, I smile because you are my father, but I also laugh because there is nothing in this world that you can do about it. You can't deny that daycare providers have told me in my adult life that you were a nervous first time father when you dropped me off to daycare each morning before work. You can't deny that you put together my first dollhouse (the one you gave me that Christmas morning). You can't deny you taught me how to ride a two-wheeled purple bike, even when I got so frustrated I threw it in the back of the shed because I couldn't look at it any longer. You can't deny you videotaped my Native-American-themed kindergarten performance where I only remember dressing up as corn and singing. You did it because mom was going into labor with my brother and you knew she wouldn't want to miss it. You can't deny you willingly watched “Spongebob Squarepants” with me throughout my childhood and actually laughed with me most of the episodes. You can't deny that you always sang "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" by Andy Williams whenever school season started back up again. But most importantly, you cannot deny that even through the most difficult moments of raising me (and my siblings as well), you enjoyed doing it because you love me and you love our family more than anything else in the world.

I used to think that nothing in this world would make me happier than guilty pleasures like chocolate or pizza. I know now that this is not true (but those things still serve as a close second). The thing that makes me happiest in the world is seeing my dad happy. When my dad is happy, it seems like all the work he does for me is rewarded in some little way. It seems like he is relaxed and doing what he loves (and he hardly ever relaxes unless it's after work watching Bill O'Reilly). I want nothing more than to make him happy as I go about my day. I know for sure that he hasn't and will not always support every decision I make in my lifetime, but I can only hope to be half as great a parent as he is someday because he has provided everything me and my family have ever wanted or needed in this life. I know now what I need to repay him because I owe him everything. Happy Father's Day to the greatest father in the world. I love you, Dad.

~ Dedicated to my father, Edward, on Father's Day 2016 ~