Thanks Dad

Thank you for the endless hours of laughter. When you would tickle me non stop. When you would let me fake fight you so that I could feel tough like my older brothers. When you would change your voice to sound like Scooby Doo. Or when you would chase me around the house.

Thank you for the endless nights of praying with me. Thank you for tucking me in with momma. Thank you for the goodnight kisses and the goodnight hugs… oh and the random kisses and hugs as well.

Thank you for being there when my heart was broken. Thank you for reminding me that God will send the perfect someone.

Thank you for always saying to me that I was loved and wonderful. Thank you for telling me that I could do anything I put my mind to.

Thank you for staying by my side on the edge of my hospital bed with momma and praying for my broken bones to heal. Thank you for the smiles I got during those rough hours before surgery. Thank you for saying that God is by my side when I was laying on the field terrified of what would happen next with my soccer career. Thank you for helping me get back on my feet.

Thank you for the endless hours on the soccer field. Thank you for pushing me hard every single time but also knowing when I was trying my best. Thank you for being my coach for so long… and forever will be.

Thank you for working your hardest so that my brothers and I could go to school and have a house and mom wouldn’t have to work and we didn’t have to worry about money that much. Thank you for buying things that I didn’t need at all. Thank you for never giving up on your job and always blessing the family with vacations and time together.

Thank you for treating momma like the queen that she is. Thank you for being her king. Thank you for continuing to pursue her. Thank you for buying her flowers and jewelry and kissing her even though my brothers and I say “gross” every time.

Thank you for taking all of us to church, making sure that we were only a couple minutes late instead of 30 minutes late. Thank you for reading us scripture and being the foundation of our family. Thank you for taking me to Sunday school and helping me practice my verses every night. Thank you for being with me when I gave my life to Christ.

Thank you for always helping me with homework and studying for tests. Thank you for making my brothers and I feel like we could/can accomplish anything.

Thank you for sending me to college. Thank you for making sure I get a good education. Thank you for giving me the opportunities to be where I am right now.

But most of all. Thank you for just being my dad. I know that some people don’t have a dad, let alone an amazing, loving one. Thank you for caring for me every single day. I know work can be frustrating. I know waking up at 5 am and not coming home till 6 pm can be tiring. And yet, you do it all. And you do it quite well. Thank you for loving me no matter what.

I love you dad.

-Syd