Why should I celebrate my dad?

• I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him (!)
• He’s told me about God for as long as I can remember.
• I know I am a princess, because Daddy said so.
• He taught me everything I know (except for Home Ec., introvert-coping, and all the other things Mom taught me instead).
• What he doesn’t know that can’t be easily referenced from Wikipedia probably isn’t worth knowing.
• He makes me laugh. And laugh. And laugh. Oh, boy.
• If I need him, he will come…time and distance no object. Literally.
• So many computer games I would have never seen without him…
• Did I mention he’s wildly in love with my mother? My future husband has some expectations to live up to…
• Don’t tell Dad about the problem unless you want him to fix it – or buy you something. He loves to buy people things.
• We’ve never had a TV in our house, and we never missed it. Dad is the news, the sit-com, the reality show, the late night talk show, the skit team, and the weather channel – and for commercials we have youtube. (And, yes, he does have different accents for all those!)
• He is the self-declared “worst influence in my life”.
• I have a website designer, IT trouble-shooter, network technician, netiquette consultant, and device-whisperer in-house. He fixes my problems because I am his precious little princess.
• ALL MY STORY PROBLEMS GO AWAY WHEN I TALK TO HIM. Now, remembering the brilliant solutions he gave me when it comes time to write is another thing…
• One of the reasons I write about fathers is that not everybody could have my dad as a father, but they can have God as a father and that’s even better! But it’s hard for dads to be the superheroes they were built to be, and maybe having role models in fiction will help them, and their kids. (Maybe.)

Whatever the big, scary thing is, I know my daddy will protect me. That’s what daddies do. And if he can’t – because the thing is inside me – he’ll do the next best thing: take it to our Father in Heaven (who is even more big and awesome than anything you’ve ever seen!).

Thanks, Dad. Love you lots – but you loved me, first.