Dear Dad,

From the moment you first held me, as a newborn wrapped up in a tiny pink blanket, you knew your world would be forever changed. In that single moment, I had you wrapped around my little finger. You thought about the life I would live. You thought about the future, wondering if you were going to be able to give me everything. You thought at some point you might mess up, and this worried you. You thought about the person I would become. In that moment of you first holding me, you knew you were already proud of me no matter what.

You have devoted most of your life to me. There is no way I will ever be able to repay you for all the sacrifices you made. For all the twenty-dollar bills tossed at me while running out the door and being a teenager and not saying "goodbye". For all the times you told me to slow down while driving around a corner. For all the hugs and kisses on the cheeks. For all the unconditional love you gave me.

From the moment you first held me, you knew you had to protect me. You knew that in my life there would be countless tears shed. No matter how many band-aids you used to cover the scrapes, and no matter how many toys you would try to put back together, you would not be able to fix my first broken heart. You knew there was going to be evil in this world that you would not be able to hide me from. You knew there were going to be hard choices I would have to make with you not there.

When I was a child, I never saw the stress spread across your face as you walked in the door from work. All I knew was that every time you came up the stairs, I would meet you with a smile and hug. I did not know that puppies and ponies cost money, I just knew that they made me happy. I lived my carefree life of going to school, coming home, and running off to dance lessons. You worked hard to pay every bill that came through the mail.

Now, I have grown up. I'm still learning about this world we live in. You have held my hand, watching me turn into the young woman I am meant to be.

Along the way, you were there for every dance recital, every riding lesson, every practice, and every game.

With every acceptance letter that came in through the mail, you were torn. Then, it broke your heart when you saw the boxes stacked inside my empty room, but you never showed it. You just smiled, hugged me, and whispered, "I'm so proud of you, babe."

Then, one day will come, when you have to shake his hand, and you just pray to God, hoping he treats me right. All you want is for someone to look after me, just the way you did, even when you're gone. You are the one that has been there for me through everything. Through every heartbreak, every laugh, every school event, every game, everything. And knowing you, you will be skeptical of this man, who you think will never be good enough for me.

And then it's the time for him to ask you the question, and you answer with a "yes" as confidently as you can, even though your heart breaks a little more.

From the moment you first held me, wrapped up in that tiny pink blanket, you've thought about this walk we would make together. You knew that someday, you would have to give me away. You would hold back to tears, and kiss me on the cheek. And I would reassure you and say, "It's okay Daddy. Just remember, I loved you first."