What I did for my dad on Father's Day

It's so interesting how my relationship with my dad has evolved over the years since I have been in recovery. We went from a strained existence when I was a teenager to the point where we will say "I love you" every time we hang up the phone. So, this year for father's day, I decided to write him a letter to tell him how much he means to me. Life is so short, incredibly short. I have several people in my life get cancer, others that have passed on and others that are no longer a part of my life at all. It has made me realize that you just don't know how much time you have left together, whether that is 20 years, 10 years, 1 week or today.

So, I wrote my dad this letter so that he knows how much he means to me. He is, by far, the greatest person I have ever known in my life. Such a sacrificial person who loves his family beyond measure and who will walk through fire for any of us, no matter how much we have hurt him or disappointed him. I reflected on how things changed after my parents divorced and he stepped up in both roles as father and mother. I have memories of him fixing Barbies for me, teaching me how to ride a bike and how to drive a car. Even now, as I enter the housing market for the very first time, he is still a dad who is teaching his little girl.

I cried after I finished the letter, tears of joy though. I am blessed to have a wonderful father who loves me to pieces. This experience really how shown me how important it is to tell those you love how much you love them. Sometimes the action of expressing such deep emotion is really difficult, but it is so healing.

If you are a father and reading this blog, thank you for taking on such an important role in the life of your child. That little person will look up to you for the rest of his or her life. I am 37 years old and am still my father's little girl, just as it should be.