Let me start off by saying, I’ve always counted myself as one of the lucky few in terms of my relationship with my dad. Admittedly, we get on each other’s nerves all the time, but that’s only because we’re a little too similar sometimes--from our sense of humor to the way we argue. You don’t realize how much of both of these things you can dish out but can’t take until you hear the exact same jokes/arguments that you’ve used before, used against you. Truly, I challenge scientists to find anything more irritating than bickering with yourself. My hypothesis: nothing can compare. But at the end of the day, he’s one of my best friends.

One of my favorite memories from when I was a kid is how my dad read The Hobbit to me as a bedtime story every night. It’s so special to me that he made time for that. To this day, hearing him read anything out loud is super nostalgic for me. And really, now that I think of it, a vast majority of my interests stem from his teachings. I guess you could say it began with The Hobbit. Then it was drawing, Harry Potter, Star Wars, classic rock, Mustangs, and movies--roughly in that order and just to name a few. And that’s just his influence as far as things I like, let alone who he’s shaped me into as a person.

He’s made it clear to me, since day one, the value of hard work, education, respect, being true to oneself, and of course, a good sense of humor. He’s been supportive of my goals in a way most parents never would be (I’ve always been an artistic type and I’m now pursuing a degree in the arts, just to clarify the level of unconditional support he’s given me). Honestly, if it weren’t for all the things he’s introduced me to over the years and the person he’s raised me to be, I might very well be going down an entirely different path. For the record, I’m incredibly excited for and pleased to be on the path I’m on.

Mostly, what’s always been a huge factor of why I look up to my dad so much is the way he’s dealt with hardship in his own life, particularly, as it pertains to his relationship with his own father. See, his father wasn’t exactly a role model in the fatherhood department and that was, as one might expect, a really difficult thing for my dad growing up. But what continues to astonish me is that rather than follow that example and do as had been done to him, my dad took from that experience the importance of being a dedicated father for your children. He took one of the most troublesome things he had to endure, and let it make him a better person. For that, I can never thank him enough. For that, I’ll never stop looking up to him.

Without my dad, I’d be an entirely different person. There aren’t enough words to sum up all that he’s done for me. There aren’t enough named emotions to express how overjoyed and honored I am to be the daughter of such an amazing man. I can’t thank you enough, Dad. You’ve raised me in such a way that I’m eager to follow your example. I hope I do you justice. Happy Father’s Day.