1. He’s Your Dad (God’s favorite reason)!
  2. He called you ‘Princess’ every day of your life 
  3. He waltzed with you, his little girl, and never wanted to let you go
  4. He grinned from ear to ear when you told him you were going to marry him when you grew up
  5. He let you take the car for a spin and never mentioned your Dukes of Hazzard stunt over the curb
  6. He also never mentioned (to Mom) the $45.00 payout to the neighbor for the dented mailbox
  7. He bought you a kitten when your goldfish died for the 6th time
  8. He gave you the best Dad pep talk when you struck out and then bought a Jim Dandy to quiet your tears
  9. He let you and 8 other pajama-clad girls share each other’s secrets and dreams all night long and never once yelled “Lights Out”
  10. He acted cool and nonchalant when Mom ruined your life by announcing that you got your you know what
  11. He faked joy when you introduced him to your new boyfriend
  12. He didn’t have to fake joy when you broke up
  13. He let you change your room color to match your adolescent moods which meant 10 trips to Benjamin Moore in as many years
  14. He never uttered one word of disappointment when you chose not to attend his alma mater
  15. He let you go on a long-distance trip with your best friends and never told you he hired a chaperone to keep you safe
  16. He picked you up from college when he sensed you were homesick but acted like he happened to be in the neighborhood
  17. He sat up with you all night long when Grandma passed away knowing you were too broken to sleep
  18. He stood on top of his chair when you crossed the stage to accept your diploma and yelled proudly “That’s My Princess!” 
  19. He tried to hold back his tears when he walked you down the aisle
  20. You tried to hold back yours when you realized that the greatest man you had ever loved was learning to let you go

Lisa Leshaw
