There are many things in life I am very grateful for. One of those is something I never knew would happen and wouldn’t trade for anything, being a dad. 

I met my daughter on St. Patrick’s Day, a couple months before her 5^th birthday. It is a day that I will remember and cherish forever. After going on several dates with the amazing woman who would become my wife, we discussed that it was the right time for me to meet her mini-me. I knew how much of a big deal this was to her as she was the most important thing in her life. After spending the day playing at the park and getting ice cream, I instantly fell in love with this amazing little girl.

What would follow would be months of movie nights, Lego building, and playing with Barbies, followed by date nights, trips, and one day, being called “daddy”. Now, I didn’t hear it at first, but my wife did and I could see that look of shock and amazement on her face. Once I realized what was going on, the fact that she had called me that out of the blue was one of the happiest moments in my life. To mean something like that to her was the best thing I could have asked for. From that day on, I was “daddy”. 

One of the biggest days of my life was the day I married my wife. What was a day truly written from a fairytale was made that much more special being that our daughter could be a part of it with us. We included her in everything. She got to pick out a special dress, ride in the limo to the venue and get ready with the girls, and have her own special spot in our ceremony, being walked down the aisle by her Aunt. Looking back almost a year later, I am so grateful that she got to be a part of that and love that she will be in those memories forever. 

I say all of this to set the tone of who my daughter is and what she means to me. Over time I have been lucky to take on more responsibilities of the role of “Dad”. With those responsibilities comes the desire to give her the best opportunities and experiences in life possible. Whether it is afterschool sports, homework, vacations, or leaving early from work just to spend time with her, the only thing she ever asks for is time. 

I will continue to write about the adventures being a dad brings, as every day I learn something new. One thing that hasn’t changed is my desire to do more and be a better dad every day. To keep a smile on her face while helping to teach her the tough lessons of life and be there to help her every step of the way. One of the greatest feelings I have as a dad is the feeling I get when I come home at the end of the day and my daughter will come running down the hall to great me at the door with the biggest smile and a hug to match. It’s a feeling I can’t explain and one that makes me strive to be that person for her as well. 

-Jacob Anderson