To the man who raised my best friend, thank you. Thank you for teaching her the importance of her gleaming smile that brightens my darkest days. She has surely inherited your stubbornness and witty sense of humor that is impossible to combat. You have taught her the values that she holds near to her heart, and have guided her to be the impressive woman she is today.

I know we both may not say it often, but I know she makes you just as proud as she makes me. Somehow she manages to avoid all the pitfalls that life has thrown her way. Your daughter may not be the little girl she once was, but she grew up alongside me and I can assure you of the astonishing woman she now is. She is my rock, and I would be entirely lost without her. Just so you know, you are her idol. She looks up to you the same way I look up to her, and believe me, that’s something special.

You may not know this, but your daughter saved my life. I met her at a turning point in my teenage years, where I was unescapably with the wrong person and headed down a path that led to nothing but horrendous concern. My own parents had warned me, but as you know, I am just as stubborn as your own daughter. Your daughter picked me up and taught me my self-worth. Every time my toxic relationship pulled me into a dark corner, your daughter searched endlessly to help me escape it. She succeeded in illuminating my life and helping me realize that I deserved better.

She was everything I had desperately needed, and she didn’t even know it. All of those late nights that we spent in your living room inevitably driving you crazy are some of my favorite memories. Those family dinners where I was always welcome were my safe haven. I was the first one in her car after she got her license and probably the first one she almost killed while driving around like a maniacal teenage girl. The worrying we caused while out running around until the early morning hours were worth it. I’m sure that dealing with us was not the easiest, but it meant the world to me.

I will be by her side for the rest of her life, and while I hope you are too, I realize that life throws us curveballs that we don’t always expect. If there ever comes a time in life where you are no longer with us, I promise to take care of her and protect her with the same tenacity that you do. I will be there for her wedding day and walk her down the aisle if I need to. I will be in the hospital holding her hand when she gives birth to your first grandchild. I promise that I will never leave her side, no matter the miles that may separate us.

Your ongoing strength amidst your adversity has proven to be successful, and you have raised a woman with a ferociously strong mind and a kind heart, and that is not an easy thing to do. So I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving your daughter everything you have given her in life. She has never had to worry about not being able to be everything she has ever dreamed of, because she deserves it more than anyone in this world. I appreciate all that you have done for me -- and for her. Thank you for giving me my world.