My HERO

I just want to tell everyone how lucky I am. I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday, and she told me that she had 2 friends who knew their fathers. I am completely blessed to have a father like the one I have. He is amazing. Here are some of his HERO qualifications.

• He is the father of 5 chidren, all of which are smart, intelligent, and highly functioning.


• He has maintained a successful marriage for 20+ years.


• He takes care of my grandpa and my Uncle Chris.


• He works at a minimum paying lawyer job. (He could have made millions, but chose to serve as a government employee).


• He remains calm, cool and collected.


• He has an open mind and does not judge me when I make mistakes (and I've made plenty)


• Above all, he has a deep love and respect for God.

Yesterday, I was having a really hard time calming down. I was extremely frustrated with a situation I was dealing with at home. I did not know how to calm down. Sometimes, I will just call my dad's phone to hear his voice on the voicemail, but he answered this time. I was crying almost uncontrollably, cussing, and acting real irrational. He listened, told me that "this will pass, Emily." He prayed with me. After about 15-20 minutes, he had me calmed down. We started talking about future plans and other things just to get my mind off of the subject.

Then, he gave me the biggest compliment of my life. He said, "Emily, you are one of the best problem solvers that I know. You may cause some problems, but you always know how to solve them. That is what your name means: Industrious and Resourceful. If I was stuck in a dark alley, and there was anyone I would want to be stuck with, it would be you. I know you would know how to get out of the alley. You would be telling me what to do." After he told me this, I felt like I could handle anything. My dad, my hero, would want ME to take care of him!!!!

Dad, if you're ever having a bad day, please read this. Your daughter loves you and thinks the world of you. I am so proud to call you my father. I love you more than any man in the world, and trust you completely. I can't even express with words how much you mean to me, daddy. I love you completely, and I appreciate everything you do for me. I know I haven't been the easiest daughter, but you have been a wonderful, patient, loving, caring, absolutely perfect father.