My best bud

I’m the middle child of three—there’s my sister Angela, me, and then my brother Justin.

Growing up, we had a dad who was definitely a disciplinarian. He was also a neat freak—one who would even keep a masking tape in the car glove compartment just to pick up dirt.

But as I got older, he became more of my bestfriend and now, my dad and I are really close and I love being able to chat and catch up with him.

Honestly, my most memorable moments of my dad were those of him getting upset, be it at home or at work, because he can be quite intense and scary!

However, looking back at all those moments, I realized that they were full of incredible insights. I had felt terrified then, but now I could see that he was simply trying to teach me and push me to become better.

But if there was one thing I learned from my dad while growing up, it was that “life is all about hills—a mix of small and great ones. And even after you climb one you’ll have to climb more. So you can’t stop walking, hiking, climbing… whatever. Just keep going and pushing.”

And so for Father’s Day, I have only this to tell him: “Being a new dad myself, all I can say is thank you for everything, and I love you. You have been so supportive of me, and such an inspiration growing up that I hope to be able to be the same for my own son. Definitely, it makes being a dad easier knowing that I have you in my corner to help me out. Love you.”