Dear Dad,

I was running on the bike trail when I got a flashback that cracked me up. I suddenly remembered when I got called down to the principal's office in fifth grade. I was terrified. I thought I was getting in trouble for wearing my Heelys to school (again). I walked down to the office with my stomach in knots and sweaty palms. As I turned the corner to the next hallway, I saw you pop out of the office. Your face was beet red, and you had completely sweat through your pastel button up shirt you put on for work. You quickly caught your breath and worriedly exhaled, “You forgot to call me when you got to school. I thought something bad had happened to you."

Do you remember? I had road my bike to school for the first time by myself, and I was supposed to call you as soon as I got in the building. You ran the entire bike trail to the school looking for me. After the guilt of being late to work and worrying about me subsided, I remember sitting in class feeling so incredibly loved. And when I was running on the bike path the other day, I felt the same love I felt when I was 11-years-old. Thank you for this memory of love, and thank you for these moments we’ve shared together:

Thank you for holding my hand as I took my first steps into the ocean; and as I got older, thank you for boogie boarding with me during high tide. Thank you for taking me roller skating every Saturday and letting me eat all the candy I wanted. Thank you for dancing with me in the middle of the street at Disney World and twirling me around until we got a round of applause from the people sitting on the patio outside the restaurant that was playing the music. Thank you for teaching me how to ride a bike, even though I was stubborn and scared to do it alone. Thank you for teaching me how to be an older sister, and the importance of being kind and patient to Bella and Ethan to have better relationships with my brother and sister. Thank you for helping me with my math homework and letting me know I was smart when I didn’t think I was.

Thank you for taking me to the father daughter dances even though I was usually poorly behaved and complained about having to wear a dress the entire time. And when I finally got to the age where I was excited to go to dances, thank you for dealing with my expensive taste in dresses and shoes. And when I got in my first fight with my first boyfriend, thank you for being there to hug me and tell me boys are dumb and that I was too pretty to be upset. And thank you for hugging me after I came home crying because I hit a raccoon on the drive back. Thank you for always being excited to rent the newest scary movie in the RedBox and ordering in wings or pizza to celebrate the terror we were about to encounter.

Most importantly, thank you for helping me be happy. You have always been so open when I come to you for help no matter how difficult the subject. And when things get hard, you are always there to remind me that God has a plan for me and that there are so many blessings in my life that I can focus on. I am so lucky to have a dad that has been there for me through all the milestones of growing up and who continuously supports me in everything I do. Thank you.

Love,

Madeline