The first guy a girl ever meets and loves is her daddy. And for a very long time, her dad is the only man that won’t hurt her. He’s her hero, protector, and best friend. But what is a dad? Someone who helps make a child? No. A dad is someone who picks you up when you fall down. He’s your shoulder to cry on, your advice giver, and those days where you just need a punching bag. He’s a hug machine that never runs out of hugs, and he’s your best friend. A dad is an example of how other guys should be. A dad is hard-working and a provider. He’s a supporter of dreams and a knight to fight off all the monsters under your bed and in your closet. Dads are always there, especially through the hard times.

My mom left when I very young, so my dad raised me. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it was easy for him, because it wasn’t. When my sister and I were born, he put his whole life on hold. He got rid of all his sports cars, and he didn’t go out and party with friends anymore. He worked all day every day to provide for his family. He couldn’t stay out sick, he couldn’t afford to miss a day of work. He had to be both the mom and the dad, and that takes a very amazing person to be able to do that. My dad is one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met, and let me tell you why.

As a kid he was always helping out around the house helping his mom. His dad was on the road a lot, so his brothers and he had to do the manly jobs and help their mom take care of the house. All through school he was always sticking up for his friends and himself. He never let anyone talk bad about anybody. When he married my mom, he took it upon himself to raise her little sister and brother. Their mom had a really bad drinking problem, and dad wasn’t going to just leave them there. He even tried to help Nancy, my mom’s mom, with her drinking problem. I don’t know how many people would have done that. He also had a friend that was also his helper at work. He had a rough life and money was an issue for his family. He drank every night, but he was the best worker dad ever had. Dad said he would work whether you were paying him or not, and he would help you do whatever needed to be done. After a little while, this man and his family finally got back on their feet, all thanks to dad. He helped them a lot more than I think he realizes. He even sold the guy a car. My dad also had another friend that had a really bad addiction. This guy worked at the same place dad did. They worked together every day and dad was able to get him to quit his addiction. They are still best friends, basically brothers. That man’s dad still tells dad everyday how he saved his son’s life.

So I’ve told you about some of the wonderful things my dad has done for others, but let me tell you what he’s done for my sister and I. He gave his whole life up for us. He worked all the time non-stop to make sure we had everything we needed and wanted. When my parents were going through a divorce, my dad spent thousands of dollars on a lawyer so my mom couldn’t take us away. She had become addicted to drugs and was a really bad alcoholic, and my dad wasn’t going to let her take us. When he was working one day he fell off the roof and broke his back. He wasn’t supposed to work but as soon as he was out of the hospital he was back working. He also broke his arm and punctured his lung in a motorcycle accident, but that didn’t stop him from working. He never stopped working, never took sick days, and never called out of work. He did it all for us. Things were going great, until his boss had to shut down his business. His boss always said dad was his best worker, and it was true. After that, dad had to start his own business from scratch. He started his own business with nothing but pennies. He struggled, but he knew that once he got it going, it would be spectacular. His motto is: “If you treat people right, it’ll come back to you”. That’s exactly what he does. Every time my dad goes to a job, he does 110%. He goes above and beyond to make the customers happy, and he never leaves a job until everything is perfect. He always tries to give people a good deal, instead of trying to rip them off like a lot of people do. That’s why his business has flourished, because he treats people right.

I try to live my life by my dad’s motto. I try to do the right thing and to treat people with kindness and the way I’d want to be treated. However, some people make it very difficult, but you just have to smile and carry on your way. I have many Laws of Life, and most of them I’ve learned from my dad. He’s taught me more about life than some quote or book or anyone else ever could. He’s taught me to think before I act, to listen twice as much as I talk, to treat people the way I want to be treated, to ALWAYS stand up for myself, to not hold a grudge and just let things go, to be myself, to be understanding, to be strong, to know right from wrong, and so many other things to live by. But I think the most important thing my dad ever taught me was love and family. He showed me what love was and what it means to be a family. He’s shown me that your family always has your back, even when you feel the whole world is against you. He’s shown me that even tiny people can be strong. Dynamite comes in small packages. He’s shown me that love is everywhere, but you can’t force it to happen. It just does.
I love my dad and I don’t know what I would do without him. Yes sometimes we fight and sometimes I get really upset with him. But at the end of the day, I’m really glad to have him around. Because when things got hard he didn’t leave. He has always been there for me, even when I couldn’t see it. Sometimes I feel like he doesn’t understand a lot of the things I go through, but as I look back I realize that he does and always has. He especially understands when it comes to boys. He taught me that no boy is ever worth crying over, and that’s probably one of the best lessons he could have taught me. My dad is my hero and he’s the strongest person I’ve ever met. He has a big heart and he’s always there when someone needs him, whether it’s family or friends. I couldn’t have made it this far without him, and I just wanted to tell him Thank You. I don’t think I tell him that enough. So thank you dad. Thanks for sticking around and for everything. I love you.