I never planned on my parents not being together and I certainly never planned on having a stepfather. The idea of seeing my mother love someone other than my father brought tears to my eyes.

When you entered my life, I hated you without even getting to know you. In my eyes, you were attempting to fill the place of my father, and that broke my heart.

My sadness came across as anger and I took it all out on you. I had no interest in making things easy for you, I resisted your presence with everything I had.

My mother was my best friend and to have someone else competing for her attention brought out the worst in me.

For that, I would like to say I am sorry.

I cannot believe you stuck around despite the fact that I made your life a living hell. You never ran, you stayed and loved my mother through it all, you even showed love for me despite how awful I was to you. I guess that is when it really hit me… you weren’t a monster at all.

You were a kind, patient, loving man who was ready to do anything to make my mother happy.

You were consistently there for both me and my mother, on our best days and our worst days.

You gave me the fatherly advice and guidance that I did not ask for but desperately needed.

You blessed me with not only your presence in my life but also the presence of your children.

I don’t know if I could survive a day without any of you, you are my family now and forever. I never thought that such a happy ending could come from a painfully hard situation. I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You have taught me how to be there for those who need you, how to be patient, and how to love with no limitations. My life has been enhanced by your presence and I would not change that for anything.

Thank you for being the stepfather I did not deserve, but desperately needed.