I was married, a wife, had my own house, and my very own husband. I had grown up to be a big girl. My parents married me off and set me off on my own, to start my own life, and my own family. I was excited about that, but my life will always include my parents.

They have loved and supported me my entire life. They have given me everything I have. They gave me a roof over my head, toys to keep me entertained, vacations at the beach, a good education, a love of books, an interest in art, my sincerity, character, kindness, humor, and goofy nature. I wouldn’t be me if it weren’t for them.

I am lucky to have a good relationship with my parents, have both parents around, and parents who are there for me through thick and thin. I will always be their baby girl. I will always go home and visit, call them with good news, and I will always have urges to call them when I’m sick, or when something else happened to my car.

I am now married, but I am still their baby girl. They shouldn’t be worried about my future because I married an amazing man. I married someone who is intelligent, driven, hardworking, funny, kind, caring, a problem solver, handyman, I married a man just like my Dad. That was no mistake, I sought those qualities out, because I love my Dad, and I love the man he represents.

My Dad is my real life superhero, he is my Harrison Ford, swinging through jungles and flying through space to save the day. My Dad is 10 feet tall, and will protect his family no matter what. My Dad is everything to me.

He made everything fun. He built us fires at a moment’s request, played endless games with us at the beach, and tossed us around in the pool. We watched endless movies together; he loved scaring us and showed us Hitchcock classics such as “Psycho” and “The Birds”. He showed us the movie “Jaws” while we were at the beach, and loved every minute of watching us hesitantly get into the ocean the next day. He introduced me to “Indiana Jones”, “Star Wars”, and other classic movies that are now my favorites.

He could fix anything. Whether it was a problem with my computer, car, or T.V. He could do anything, make an amazing meal, toss around a softball, help me with lacrosse, and attempt to teach me math. He taught me so much. He showed me how to grow a garden, drive a stick shift car, and use a toolbox. I never got tired of following him around, watching him do all the things he did, and learn how he did them.

He has created distinct memories in my childhood. I will never forget him rocking me to sleep, singing about ice cream castles and angel hair. I will never forget the Jasmine shaped shampoo bottle he gave me once when I was sick. I will never forget the beautiful necklaces he gave me for my 13th, 16th, 18th, and 21st birthdays. I will never forget him showing me how to sucker a tomato plant, or when to pick squash. I will never forget how he talked me through my teenage angst moments and bought me beautiful flowers with a card that said, “I miss your smile”, when I was doing nothing but being a bratty teen. I will never forget how I wrecked the car he bought for me, twice in one weekend, the first weekend I was left home alone, and came home with flowers instead of angry words and lectures.

I will gladly give up plans any day to put together a puzzle, watch a movie, or help make a gourmet meal with my Dad. He is everything to me, he helped mold me, and I can’t wait until he can do all the things he did for me, for my kids. Even when I’m all grown up, perhaps a Mom myself, middle aged and supposedly mature, I will still be learning from him. He will still be ten feet tall. No matter what I will always be a Daddy’s girl…

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