This article is dedicated to a man who walked very quietly into my life but has left such a positive impact that I want to share with everyone how amazing he is. This man in my step-father, Jay Pooler.

I don't think I could ever say thank you enough times or ever truly capture in words how thankful I am to have him in my life. It was a rough start for us, but we've come a long way and I'd like to think I'm the luckiest girl because I got who just might be the greatest step-father there is.

Our relationship is a little weird though. As strange as it sounds, we're sort of like acquaintances. We don't hug, I don't go to him for advice, and have never really vocalized how much we care about each other. He's a very soft-spoken person. I don't think I've ever heard him raise his voice in any way, or move faster than what is probably considered a stroll, or even had more than a five-minute conversation with him at a time. He's a little different from my family, polar opposite from my mom, actually. Somehow though, it works.

I'll tell you what though, I know he must really love us, as well as my mom if he has stuck around for this long. My family isn't exactly the easiest to handle. No matter what we put him through though, he's never stopped loving us.

I think for me, it was during and after my battle with cancer that I've truly come to appreciate everything he has done for us. I had to move back in and I couldn't work, so he and my mom took over my car payment and insurance. I could be a pretty nasty person at times, but he was still there, and still did what he could to help our family get through it. Even now that I'm cancer-free and working, he's not trying to push me back out the door.

He's a very giving person. In addition to gifts, vacations, etc. that he has done for our family, he has welcomed pets into our home, despite the fact he's not the biggest fan of them. We currently have a dog, two cats, and two fish. I'm sure the fish are probably his favorite.

Overall Jay has a very big heart. He loves his mom and always visits her and his dad (who currently resides in a nursing facility). He works two jobs to support us. He helps me with my bills and learning to budget.

Though he is a man of few words, his actions speak louder than any words that could be spoken. It's almost kind of frustrating that there's nothing bad to say about him. He's kind, honest, in weird ways funny, and carries himself with integrity.

When you marry someone with kids it's a package deal. You're signing on for the role as someone's parent. I think there are some people who don't understand that, but Jay did. The day he married my mom he knew that meant he not only became a husband but a dad as well. He has fully, if not more, lived up to that role.

So here's to him. To the man who makes my mom incredibly happy. To the man who goes above and beyond for his family. To my step-father, Jay.