To the first man in my life,

I was the reason you became a father. I helped you grow up. I am what made you and Mom realize a new aspect of life. I will know how that feels when I have kids one day too. But I will always be your first child and little girl to you no matter how old I may be.

You were also the first man I ever loved. I adored you from the second I was put into your arms. I'd run into your open embrace the second you came home from work. You would play dress up, play Barbies with me, no matter how painful it might have been, and brush me off when I fell down. Even though I decided to potty-train myself in a brand new pair of your shoes when I was one year old, you still loved me unconditionally.

You were my role model and teacher. You taught me how to ride a bike and how to tell jokes. You taught me how to have the craziest work ethic and how to constantly stay driven. You can fall off a three story roof with a broken leg and still want to go back to work as soon as you could in order to help your family.

You are my inspiration to push myself as much as I can everyday in order to be successful. If you can do it for yourself and four other people, then why can't I do it on my own?

When I was little, I would be the first person to greet you at the door and you would be the last person to tuck me in at night. Although, growing up has changed that quite a bit. Dating, me believing that I was constantly right, and being stubborn enough to push you away put a damper on our relationship.

I didn't want you to see me as your little girl anymore, but I never want you to think that I will not be your daughter. Being in college has made me see how much I care about and miss you, and I have never been able to express that to you. I was so set in my teenage ways that I did not see how far away I had pushed you. I am sorry for that.

Every time you laugh, I can't help but smile. Every time you shed a tear, I can't help but cry. You have been through so much to keep our family stable and happy that I could never thank you for all that you have done. You are my rock, my best friend, and most importantly my dad. I do not tell you this enough, but I love you. I will get married one day, buy a house and a car, and hopefully have children. So much in my life will change. Although, what will never change is how much I care about you.

Thank you for teaching me so much and loving me through thick and thin. I will always love you just as much, if not more. Just know that I will always be here to return the favor if you need a shoulder to lean on or a hug for support. Although you are my rock, even they need to have support from other parts of the earth in order to stand so tall.

Love,
Your not so little, little girl