I have learned to be very grateful for everything that I have because there are people in different parts of the world who do not have as much as I do. I learned this from my father. I am very grateful that I have a father because there are some people who may not have one.

Recently, I watched a video of two kids talking about how they used to not have a father but then they were adopted and now they do. They talk about how their dad is not a pretend dad or a partial dad but he is their “really” dad. They say that they are "Fatherfull." This part of the video made me cry. I started to think about what my life would be like if I did not have my dad. There’s so much that I wouldn’t know. Sure, my mother would still do a great job of raising me on her own, but I wouldn’t have the same experience as I was fortunate to have while having my father around.

If I didn’t have my dad, I wouldn’t have someone constantly making jokes or telling me to “go ask mom” whenever I want something. I wouldn’t have someone to watch weird sci-fi movies with or someone to watch strange education videos about animals with. I wouldn’t have someone to base what I want my husband to be like off of. I wouldn’t have someone to tell me what to look for in a man. I could go on and on saying all of the things that I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have my father but it would take ages to do so. The point is, I don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t have my dad. I can imagine that life would be very different.

In the video that I mentioned before, the two kids go on to talk about how they have another father. They say that he is a “really good daddy.” They are talking about the Heavenly Father, God. They say that he is their “really” dad too and that they are so happy that they have two fathers.

My dad is a great dad. He loves me and my siblings and he would do anything for us. He already proved this with my oldest sibling by treating him like his own. Just like God does every day when people choose to follow him and accept him into their lives. I am so happy that I have a father who taught me about the Lord, our savior, and all the many other things that he has taught me. I’m so happy that I have a father who is fair and who treats all of his children with the same love and respect, just like God does. I’m also so happy that I am able to express my appreciation for my father in a creative way. My father has always encouraged myself and my siblings to go after our dreams and he supports us in everything that we do. I hope that one day we all make him proud.

I love you, Daddy.