I sent this to my father for Father's Day, and I figure that publishing it will help me live up to the promise I made. I love you Dad!
It’s hard to look back and try and say everything that inspired me, everything that made me who I am based on who you are, everything that influenced where I am today and my passion for what I do. I could sum it up in one word, but that’s too cliché. Like a horrible Hallmark card. And the last thing I want is for you to open this up and see one paragraph with the conclusion: Dad.
And although this conclusion rings truth, it also doesn’t express the symptoms that led to that diagnosis. See: trait one – you taught me to be analytical. But with a fear of having this sound like your retirement speech, the last thing I want is for you to open this up and see a reiteration of everything I’ve said before.
So what can I do? I don’t seem to be left with much. Poetry? Nah... that’s meant for mothers! A card? That’s not enough. After all, this holiday is meant to celebrate our relationship. The father’s relationship to his child. No card can do that. Not even Hallmark.
But how can you sum up a relationship? Millions of employees sitting at that card factory try year after year to come up with a catch phrase, with something sentimental, with something that suits different relationships. And that’s how you can tell a child’s relationship to their father – the card they choose to buy them. And most of us kids being at a loss for words, like me now, find it easier to have someone else say exactly what they want to say.
And maybe that was said already. By the Japanese representative in Rome, “Thank you for letting me see you and your Dad together. I wish I could have a relationship with my daughter like you do with your father”.
But I can’t have someone else say it this year. I’m so far away, and a card isn’t enough. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. Most father’s wouldn’t provide, or even couldn’t provide, this opportunity for their children. But when I asked you about it, there was no hesitation. I gave you my reasons, I spelt out the importance of the program to me, and you agreed, with undying support. And even now I know I can count on you. I can call you up at anytime and you will listen to every word. Even if you are busy. Not many girls can say that about their Dads.
I can only hope to be as good of a mother as you are a father. You have taught me so much about life, about people, and about handling difficult situations. You have taught me the importance of loving the person in your life and supporting them through good and bad times. You have taught me to embrace the flaws of others, forgive others, and see that sometimes everyone just needs an enemy. Even if that enemy is me.
You are my Dad. You are everything to me and this world is a better place with you in it. My childhood was perfect. My adolescence was perfect. My early adult years are perfect. And although there is always pain and there are always let downs, you’ve taught me to take them stoically and to learn how to face the challenge better the next time. After all, I am a Scott.
I know this isn’t much. I could have written pages about your positive influence in my life – but then what would be left for the years to come? So here is my promise: every father’s day I will write you something. Not a poem. Not a Hallmark card. It will be a written work. I don’t know the forms it will take, but it will depend on where I am in my life and what that means to us. All I know is that this year, being so far away, I have come to feel a stronger bond to my family, and thus to you. I miss you so much and I love you so much. No girl has ever been luckier than I am as your daughter. You mean the world to me, as I know we all do to you. And not many kids can say that with certainty. You have been the perfect father for us and I couldn’t imagine anything else. I wouldn’t change anything. Life is wonderful, despite your adage that it sucks. I guess that’s where I take after Mom.
I love you Dad!
Babydoll
For Dad
It’s hard to look back and try and say everything that inspired me, everything that made me who I am based on who you are, everything that influenced where I am today and my passion for what I do. I could sum it up in one word, but that’s too cliché. Like a horrible Hallmark card. And the last thing I want is for you to open this up and see one paragraph with the conclusion: Dad.
And although this conclusion rings truth, it also doesn’t express the symptoms that led to that diagnosis. See: trait one – you taught me to be analytical. But with a fear of having this sound like your retirement speech, the last thing I want is for you to open this up and see a reiteration of everything I’ve said before.
So what can I do? I don’t seem to be left with much. Poetry? Nah... that’s meant for mothers! A card? That’s not enough. After all, this holiday is meant to celebrate our relationship. The father’s relationship to his child. No card can do that. Not even Hallmark.
But how can you sum up a relationship? Millions of employees sitting at that card factory try year after year to come up with a catch phrase, with something sentimental, with something that suits different relationships. And that’s how you can tell a child’s relationship to their father – the card they choose to buy them. And most of us kids being at a loss for words, like me now, find it easier to have someone else say exactly what they want to say.
And maybe that was said already. By the Japanese representative in Rome, “Thank you for letting me see you and your Dad together. I wish I could have a relationship with my daughter like you do with your father”.
But I can’t have someone else say it this year. I’m so far away, and a card isn’t enough. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. Most father’s wouldn’t provide, or even couldn’t provide, this opportunity for their children. But when I asked you about it, there was no hesitation. I gave you my reasons, I spelt out the importance of the program to me, and you agreed, with undying support. And even now I know I can count on you. I can call you up at anytime and you will listen to every word. Even if you are busy. Not many girls can say that about their Dads.
I can only hope to be as good of a mother as you are a father. You have taught me so much about life, about people, and about handling difficult situations. You have taught me the importance of loving the person in your life and supporting them through good and bad times. You have taught me to embrace the flaws of others, forgive others, and see that sometimes everyone just needs an enemy. Even if that enemy is me.
You are my Dad. You are everything to me and this world is a better place with you in it. My childhood was perfect. My adolescence was perfect. My early adult years are perfect. And although there is always pain and there are always let downs, you’ve taught me to take them stoically and to learn how to face the challenge better the next time. After all, I am a Scott.
I know this isn’t much. I could have written pages about your positive influence in my life – but then what would be left for the years to come? So here is my promise: every father’s day I will write you something. Not a poem. Not a Hallmark card. It will be a written work. I don’t know the forms it will take, but it will depend on where I am in my life and what that means to us. All I know is that this year, being so far away, I have come to feel a stronger bond to my family, and thus to you. I miss you so much and I love you so much. No girl has ever been luckier than I am as your daughter. You mean the world to me, as I know we all do to you. And not many kids can say that with certainty. You have been the perfect father for us and I couldn’t imagine anything else. I wouldn’t change anything. Life is wonderful, despite your adage that it sucks. I guess that’s where I take after Mom.
I love you Dad!
Babydoll
You're a beautiful writer, chica!
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