Thank you, Dad.

Life can certainly change in a blink of an eye, people come and go, but thank you, Dad, for always staying by my brother’s and my side through the good, the bad, and the disastrous.

First off, thank you for being the best dad out there. Not too often do you hear of a single parent being the father, but my dad is one. I couldn’t imagine the pressure you must have felt to have become a single dad to an eighteen-year-old girl entering college (yikes) and a fourteen-year-old boy entering high school overnight. Not many people probably would’ve survived that, but you did. I give you all the credit in the world. Thank you for always being there for us and being our rock.

Thank you Dad, for constantly pushing me to be my best, work hard, and never give up on my goals and dreams. From sports, to school work, relationships, and jobs, I have always tried to be the best person I could be in every situation. You’ve taught me that you need to work for everything you want in life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without your love, guidance, and support.

Thank you for showing me a genuine love for every sport. I truly enjoy and look forward to all of the football, basketball, and baseball games that are always on our television at night. I would feel so cool because I could talk with my guy friends in middle school about the latest football game or top ten play. Staying up late and watching playoffs for the Pittsburgh Steelers and traveling to PNC Park to watch the Pirates in the middle of summer will always be some of my favorite memories.

Your love for the game of baseball definitely rubbed off on me at a young age. I’ve never been a Tom Boy or anything close to being aggressive and tough, but softball happen to be my first love. I always wondered if ballet and tap would’ve suited me better, but then I realize that softball has given me more than I could have imagined; our close bond, incredible memories with all of my teams I played for, amazing coaches, to everlasting friendships.

Thank you for teaching me how to throw like a girl, a girl with a fastball and a curveball. Thank you for being my favorite catcher through middle school all the way up to college, and to this day. Tens of thousands of pitches have hit your catcher’s glove, to tens of thousands of miles you have put on your truck to take me to pitching lessons, practices, and tournaments all over the North East. Thank you for never missing a game and being my biggest fan and support system. Oh, and of course, thank you for always chasing after my wild pitches to the backstop and never complaining. Thank you for our unique and special bond over the love for this sport.

Thank you for giving me a true love for food, especially anything chocolate. Peanut M&Ms to be exact, and of course triple chocolate cake wherever we decided to go out to dinner on the weekend. Thank you for showing me how to enjoy the little things in life and never to forget dessert.

Life is certainly unpredictable, and none of us would’ve ever thought we’d be where we are today. Thank you for being the most influential person in my life. There are a million things that I couldn’t thank you enough for. Simply, thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving my brother and I the best of everything.

You’ve taught me how to be strong, resilient, and fearless through life’s craziest and scariest moments. Now I am confident that I can handle whatever life wants to throw at me, I know I can be brave on my own. I hope one day that I am half the person you are and be able to influence and help out so many other people in this world like you do. You will always be my hero.

Love always,

Your little girl