Father’s Day may have come and gone, but for me every day is Father’s Day. It’s not because I only have my dad or that I have two dads, but because basically I am my dad. There, I said it. I am a “daddy’s girl.” I may be a carbon copy of my mom, but I have my dad’s spirit, (and his forehead). I am who I am today because of his knowledge, his wisdom, and all those random facts I didn’t know I needed to know. If you’re a daddy’s girl, you know that your dad is nothing short of your best friend, even when he pulls a total dad move in public. The lessons he has taught us are things we will carry with us for the rest of our lives and hand down to our children after us. I don’t know where I’d be without him, and since it’s his birthday week, I figured I’d show him just how much he means to me (since I’m too broke to buy him anything). So Dad, and all you other cool dads out there, this one’s for you.

You’ve given me so much over the years that it’s hard to know where to start, so I guess it’s only fitting to go all the way back to the day I was born. After mom almost broke your hand on the way to the hospital and a few not-so-short hours of labor, they cleaned me up and finally brought me out to meet you. You were the first guy to ever fall for me — literally. Don’t worry, I’m sure you weren’t the only dad to pass out when their kid was born! I guess you realized that suddenly you had a tiny human to look after, and soon enough that tiny human would grow into a bigger tiny human. You realized that she would be vulnerable to the world and it was now your responsibility to shield her and to hold her up. You realized that someday you’d have to take her to school so she could learn new things and find her own path. You realized that someday she’d find a boy that’s no good for her and beg you to play nice anyway. You realized that someday she’d drive her own car, and that she’d be able to drive away. You realized that you wouldn’t always be able to keep her from getting hurt, that she would have to make mistakes and learn on her own. You realized that someday she’d go away for college and you’d have to let her go. You realized that someday a man would ask you for her hand, and that’s the last time she’ll be yours. But despite all of your fears and doubts, here I am in one piece. The first thing you ever taught me was how to love others unconditionally, and you taught me by doing just that.

You showed me how to love music. Even as a baby I had a good set of lungs and would cry all through the night. Little did you know, I was just trying to sing with you. You always encouraged me to sing, and I always wanted to sing just like you. My favorite memories are of us jamming out to the 80’s in the car without a care in the world. There’s nothing like driving with the windows down blasting “Eye of the Tiger” on our way to get a chicken biscuit when mom’s healthy food just isn’t cutting it. You bought me my first piano, and man did I love that thing. I guess you knew that I would be doing this for the rest of my life, or at least that I should. You got me into church choir, even if I wanted to play outside instead of sit through a rehearsal with nothing but sweet old people. You even made me take piano lessons, which lasted for about 2 months, but I appreciate the effort. The point is, you never stopped supporting me and pushing me to pursue my dreams, and I can't thank you enough for that.

Some of my most cherished memories are from my childhood with you. Every night we would pile into the boys' room (because they had the cool bunk bed I could swing from) and you would read us a story. It started off as a different book each night, and then we would make you do our favorites over and over again. I seem to distinctly remember the zoo book being a crowd-pleaser. Eventually, you started reading us "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" chapter by chapter. We loved it so much, we used to beg you for just one more chapter, even though you'd already read us five and it was way past our bedtime. But you didn't just read them to us, you told us a story. You created this world with your words and your voice that was so entrancing we just couldn't get enough, and those books are still some of my favorite ones to read because of you. You showed us how to use our imagination and to think outside the box, even if we're tired and exhausted and just want to sleep but the kids want just one more chapter.

You've given me so much over the years, I just can't fit it all into one article. Maybe if my music career doesn't work out I'll write a book about you, or maybe I'll just do it anyway. I know you think that you're just an average dude, but I promise you that you are a mountain among hills. You've taught me how to stand up for myself, and when to hold my tongue and save myself some trouble. You showed me there is more to life than fancy clothes and fast cars, and that the best place to spend my off days is in nature. You taught me to love all animals, even the kind with scales. You showed me just how a man should treat me by treating me better than any moan could hope to You showed me that if I work hard enough and stay focused I can accomplish anything, and I believed you because you are living proof of that. I don't think I'll ever be able to give back to you what you've given me, but I can at least take all that you've taught me and put it to use. You're my biggest fan and I know you're proud to be my dad, but I'm just as proud to be your daughter. I love you, dad — forehead and all.