HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all of the daddios out there! Hopefully, most of you reading this are able to tell your fathers how much they mean to you and how much we love them. If they have passed away, they love you from above. My dad is the most important man in the world to me and I love him to infinity and beyond #buzzlightyearfanforever. The relationship I have with my dad does not just exist because I am his flesh and blood, or because I was called to love him... but for thousands of other reasons. Today, I have chosen ten that I think are truly the greatest.

1. My dad is kind.

The way my dad acts in all cases and the way he treats other people is something I admire. He is always kind and never lashes out at someone even when they have noticeably wronged him. My whole family is able to experience the results of his great kindness because it reaches everyone in my dad’s circle and even those who he has never met. When people recognize me to be his daughter they are always telling me how kind and considerate of a man he is and how he is doing such wonderful things to better our community.

2. He loves me unconditionally.

I know my dad loves me and would do absolutely anything for me in order to give me the best life. He is always supportive of my great decisions and helps encourage me to do better when I fail. But no matter how many times I screw up and disappoint him (which was a lot sophomore through senior year, really sorry about that for like the thousandth time #riphighschool) he is always there to pick me up and brush me off just as he has been my whole life.

3. He shows me respect and makes sure everyone else does as well.

My parents have always told me that I teach other people how to treat me, which I have never truly been good at because I constantly let people walkover me and use me in attempt to make them happy. But my dad always shows me respect in the way that he allows me to make my own mistakes in order to learn to a certain extent. When it comes to boys however my dad has never really ben a fan of of them. He calls them names here and there (jokingly of course and never truly hurtful) but he has never failed to try and protect me from the hurt and pain they can bring and never fails to bring the wrath of the father on the ones who have come and gone for various reasons. Congrats to Chancellor (my lovely boyfriend) who has not been teased, I think he really likes you and it is because of how much you respect me. And I know my dad and I both thank you for that.

4. He is unbelievably hardworking.

From dawn to after dusk my dad is working. He’s either on the phone, responding to emails, running back and forth from meeting to meeting, or practicing a speech for the upcoming week. He seems to be always working and I used to hate it. I felt that he never had time for me and that he obviously cared more about work than me. I have come to realize that it is quite the opposite. He does all of this work and has multiple jobs in order to provide for the family he has and to give them the things they want, even when they are completely unnecessary. So I thank you for that, dad.

5. My dad is absolutely selfless.

My dad is a dad that puts everybody’s desires and needs before his own. Never in my entire life have we gone shopping and my dad has said “I’m getting this” or “I want this”. It is always about his kids and his wife. He has never failed to pay for my friends the countless times we have gone out to eat or on a vacation. Honestly, he treats my mom, sister, and me like princesses and is always willing to sacrifice his own agenda and needs to meet our own.

6. He makes great sacrifices for those he loves.

My dad is constantly living a life of sacrifices. He works all day long and I know he is so tired, yet when he comes home, instead of going straight to bed, he will take the time to check in with my sister and I on how our day was. He will take the time to eat dinner together with the family and will even watch tv shows with us before bed. He is always concerned about getting everyone where they need to be and on time even if it will make him late. He gives my sister and I money for school even though his car is on the brink of dying if it hits one wrong bump.

7. He always comes home.

This is a quality I have always admired in my dad. growing up my entire life I have heard and been there for many of my friends whose parents unfortunately got divorced or fought all of the time. Yet my dad, no matter how tough everything is at home, comes home every single night. I can't imagine living my life without a father, and I am so grateful to not have to know what that feels like. No matter how many fights my family has gone through, we have all gotten through them, together.

8. He perseveres.

My dad never backs down from a challenge. When people were asking him to run for Mayor of Hilton Head Island my dad prayed and when the Lord revealed to him that it was god’s plan for him, my dad went at it with everything he had. My dad has worked so hard in order to make our community a better place in which to reside and to vacation. He has brought our community together. He persevered even though so many people would make rude remarks and untruthful comments about him. He proves them wrong with his noble character.

9. He is slow to anger.

My dad hardly ever yells, let alone raises his voice and it is because he is slow to anger, just as the Bible commands all of us to be. My dad always takes the time to think before he speaks or acts considering the results and consequences that will come to follow. He disciplines us as children because he loves us and because he knows what will help us to have the best lives down the road. He and cautious with his words and I can trust that he will not hurt me with them because everything that comes from his mouth has been carefully thought over and is absolutely trustworthy.

10. He has the characteristics I want in a husband.

All of these things are characteristics I look for in a man I may be interested in marrying someday. (Chancellor, so far, you’re doing pretty good). My dad is kind, loving, respectful and respectable. He is hardworking, selfless, reliable, faithful, and perseverant. These are all characteristics God calls us to have, both men and women. It amazes me how my dad can to it all and more.

The only question I have for a man I may one day be interested in marrying, when it comes down to the line, is: “How do you match up to my father?” Because I know I will measure you according to his standards, my own, and God’s. I hope we all approve.

Thank you daddy for being such an incredibly loving father, one I can trust and look to in all situations. I hope yours and all of the other fathers out there have the most special day. I love you.