Dear Dad,

Bless your heart. You ended up living with 4 women for the majority of your life, then we added on two little girl pups. I don't know how you do it.

Thank you for putting your daughters first.

I can still remember fake sleeping in the back of the van when I was little just so you would carry me inside. You knew that I was fake sleeping too, but still carried and tucked me in anyways. That is the first thing I remember without looking back on pictures or home videos. It's something I will never forget.

Thank you for making family your biggest priority.

Our family has been through so much, just like every family. You are the one that serves as the glue of our family. When any of us feel lost, you bring us back to reality. There is a reason that family is one of our biggest priorities, it's because you taught us well.

Thank you for letting me fail.

"He knew how to lift me up and when to let me fall looking back, he always had a plan, my old man" -Zac Brown Band.

One of my favorite things about you and mom is that you let your daughters make mistakes. You let us find out for ourselves how tough something might be. Even when you know we are going to fall, you pick us right back up. I can't thank you enough for letting us find out those things for ourselves.

Thank you for always giving your opinion, even when I don't want it.

Being a teenage girl and a young adult, of course, we have faced some differences. I have been frustrated with you and I'm sure you've been frustrated with me. Thank you for telling me what you think even when I don't want to hear it. I know how much you love me and that you only want what's best for me.

Thank you for always giving me a home.

Despite all the moves that our family has made, I always knew that home was wherever you were. There may have been a few times where I would drive home from college and not remember what driveway to drive into. As soon as I got there, (even if it wasn't our own home) it felt like home because you were there.

Thank you for teaching me to be a travel bug.

My love for traveling came from you and mom. I remember being scared to travel, I know you remember me being scared to travel too. One day, your dropped me off at the Minneapolis airport and said goodbye as I would embark on a month-long journey across the pond. When I came home from that trip you told me that dropping me off at the airport was way too easy. It's because I was finally ready. I knew you and mom had prepared me for whatever would come my way.

Thank you for being my biggest support system.

I decided to be a gymnast, you came to every meet. I told you I wanted to play softball, you signed me up and coached my 7th and 8th-grade teams. I told you I wanted to play volleyball, you left work early to make it to almost every game. I told you I wanted to try golfing, you took me to the driving range. I was crowned an ambassador for a year, you drove us in our first parade. I cried on freshman move-in day, you waited until you stepped foot into an empty house to let a tear fall. You are the strongest person I know.

Thank you for all the laughs.

You may be strong, but you're also funny as hell. Sometimes I don't think you realize how funny your sarcastic, side comments are. Sometimes, I think you think you're funnier than you actually are. But when it all boils down, I wouldn't trade the laughs I have shared with you for anything.

I know that you have been sitting at home for a couple weeks now, in pain, recovering from surgery. I wanted to give you something to read to remember how special you are to myself and both my sisters. I would love to be at home helping mom take care of you. But I thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to attend college and enjoy my last few weeks at school. Your selflessness is something I admire and strive for every day.

Thank you, for being my dad.

I love you,

Forever Your Little Girl