Dads and daughters have a bond like no other. Memories of the man who I've looked up to will forever stay in my mind and in my heart, no matter how old he, or I, become. Here are a few tributes of my own, who I believe girls and their fathers can relate to.

1. Daddy-Daughter dances were a staple of elementary school. Dancing everywhere, from the school gym to the playroom upstairs, we made it a dance wherever we were, with all the High School Musical hits.
2. Time Warp, I Wanna Talk About Me, Five Little Monkeys, Can I Have This Dance; there are some songs that will just be ours forever, and that playlist is still at the top of my Spotify. You influenced my taste in music for the rest of my life. The Beatles will always remind me of you and what you mean to me.
3. The stories we used to imagine the summer we moved to Dallas helped me sleep better at night. I was five years old with a room to myself in a town where I only knew you and Mom. The stories we made up and the stories we read over the years is where my love for reading and writing originated. Plus, I always found Goldbug first.
4. I always had the best school projects because of a helper who’d spend a couple hours with me in the craft store to decide what we would do this time. Every year, every class, every science fair or craft opportunity we tackled together. We’ve burned paper, hot glued dolls, cut up outfits, and created treasure maps; all for the A+ on projects.
5. Gaming! You’re the one who first put the controller in my hands. Barbie Fashion Show, Tony Hawk Skating, LEGO Indiana Jones, Wii bowling, Fruit Ninja. Our family competitions and the Game Boy/Nintendo DS games you’d buy us constantly all led to my own obsession of Sims 4 house design.
6. As a teenager, you’ve let me have a conversation with you. Whether I’m infuriated or upset, you let me yell and cry and rant in your car on the way home from rehearsal or a friend’s house about whatever I want and given me whatever I’ve needed to hear.
7. You have always done as much for me as you can. Going big on Christmas gifts, taking me to TV show auditions at 4am, driving me to endless rehearsals for theatre. You taught me how to be thoughtful through those gestures. You go big or go home, and I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done.
8. You’ve supported every choice I’ve ever wanted to make (some with more hesitation than others). Theatre, marketing, design. You’ve always been in the crowd, cheering me on, helping me out, and not letting me give up.
9. I look up to you. You’ve created someone who I’ve made into my hero, my idol, and my role model. You are the kind of person I aspire to be – passionate about life, loving, and being happy. I know it’s not easy watching your girl grow up, but you’re my number #1, you always will be. Thank you Dad. I love you, old man.