Dear Aba,

While thinking about what article I wanted to write this week I went through different topics that interested me, but as I started writing I noticed that something didn't feel quite right. I was sitting in the living room, my fingers hovering over my laptop keys, looking around at you, Ima, and Itay, and your smile suddenly caught my attention in a different way than it ever had before. I knew then what I wanted to write about; I wanted to write about you, Aba. I wanted to write about my appreciation for you as a person and your role as a father in our family.

I know that I say this to you and Ima; but I want you to know how much I really mean it: thank you. Thank you for your endless support with and presence in my education, relationships with friends and significant others, and anything else that I share with you. It means more than you know when you take time out of your busy daily life to talk to me and give me advice about any concerns I might have, or just take time to listen to the events that are going on in my life.

You're also one of the funniest people I know and your humor makes my day instantly makes my day a little lighter. Also, thank you for letting me know it's okay to embarrass myself and not take myself too seriously at times. Some of my happiest memories are when we're together as a family and you let go and are your true self. You're the one who makes the entire family crack up and the one who allows us to have memories we remember for a lifetime. Thank you for continuously making me feel like everything's okay even when I doubt it, as well as helping me put things in proportion and bringing me back to reality when I feel lost and disconnected.

Aba, you're incredibly clever, driven, caring, and intelligent. You're able to solve any math problem I give you without knowing the context which to me, makes you a certified GENIUS! I always want to make you proud with what I accomplish both academically and in my personal life, because you've shown me what success and happiness look like, as well as what it means to be self-assured and the importance of standing up/speaking up for what you believe in.

I love you so much, Aba, and I'm so very excited to make so many more memories with you that'll help me further grow as a person. Thank you for your consistent humor, love, care, and encouragement, that has shaped me into the person I am today. I'm forever grateful for you and love you more than you know...

P.S. We still need to do our father daughter trip (maybe Disneyland or Universal Studios?? Just a thought...)

Love always,

Your daughter, Noa