There are a lot of articles circulating on Odyssey about thanking your parents, in fact I’ve shared a number of them. However, I’ve never shared one thanking my dad. It’s not that I am not thankful for my dad, it’s just that I have never read one that really captures our relationship. Most articles talk about being “Daddy’s Girl,” and I do not connect with that phrase. As I’ll be heading home soon, I finally decided to write my thank you letter to my dad.

Dad, thank you for being you. Thank you for never letting society change you, and thank you for instilling that in me as much as possible. Even though Mom doesn’t like it, you still grow out your beard from time to time, make awful jokes and insist on bringing the dog everywhere. It doesn’t matter what others think, you just want to be yourself. We live in a society that pressures us to fit a certain mold, but you always showed me that such a mold is meant to be broken.

Thank you for being one of my biggest supporters. I’m sure going right from work to a band concert or sitting in the freezing rain on a Friday night are not very fun (I can at least confirm that the later is not enjoyable at all). Yet you were always there for me. It didn’t matter what was going on, you always told me how proud you were, cheered me up when I had a terrible day, and ensured me that a mess up isn’t the end of the world.

Thank you for not babying me. If I wanted a better grade, you told me to study harder. If I wanted to make varsity color guard, you told I’d better go outside and practice some more. When I came home upset because all the coaches did was yell at us during rehearsal, you told me to suck it up because we obviously needed to work harder. I could never fathom you being a parent to tell a coach that they were “pushing me too hard,” because at the end of the day you knew I needed to be pushed. Instead of telling me to slow down when it came to color guard, work, and college, you told me to make sure to manage my time wisely. I needed to grow strong and develop a work ethic, and I’m thankful that instead of trying to do everything for me, you (and Mom) encouraged me to find my limits and push them even farther.

Thank you for being a teacher. From a young age I enjoyed reading, and it’s mostly because of you. To this day, you fall asleep on the couch with a book in your hand. I thank you for instilling that in me. I thank you for encouraging me to pursue any passion I wanted to: for teaching me a wrestling move that one time to showing me how to spin your nunchucks over winter break. Nothing was off limits to me as a child. I wanted to bike to Grandma and Grandpa’s? “Sure, let me show you how and where to change gears.” I wanted a book about the elements. “Okay, let’s head on up to the library.” I think I’m going to design my own major? “Well, we pay that much money for you to go there so why not?” You taught me so much about living on my own and taking care of myself while simultaneously teaching me that I can be whatever I want, and for that I am forever thankful.

Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for coming upstairs in the morning and telling me about whatever show you are watching on Netflix. Thank you for sending me random (and sometimes photoshopped) pictures of our dogs and cats. Thank you for not just being my dad, but for being someone who I talk to about bands and weird stories I heard on the news. I know so many kids who just don’t talk to their parents, and while I may not call you once a week, the random texts in between and conversations when I come home mean a lot.

Thank you for teaching me to be strong. I mentioned earlier that I never felt like a “Daddy’s girl,” simply because I don’t think you raised me to be that way. While there is nothing wrong with being a Daddy’s girl, I feel like that implies that a daughter is super dependent on her Dad. I’m not some all independent adult (yet), but you (and Mom) have certainly raised me to be a strong individual. You taught me it was okay to take my own path separate from the group, and that I should never take part in something that I hate, but I should finish everything I start. You told me to stand up for what I believe in. You showed me how to take care of myself so I can live on my own, making sure I watched as you cooked in the kitchen. You and Mom ingrained in me that I do not need to be dependent on anyone else, I can live on my own and be just as successful, another thing I am extremely thankful for.

Thank you for being my Dad. Even though we may fight or disagree, I would not trade you for any other Dad in the world. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like sitting around a campfire without you carving away at some piece of wood or standing at the door waiting for the dog so you can leave. I don’t know any other person who after watching me participate in color guard for nine years still insists that I am the only performer you ever watch. Thank you for being a wonderful Dad, and I hope someday to be half the person you are.