Thank you for all the times I took for granted. The times where we sat in our 135 year old house and watched anything educational on your favorite channels on TV.

Thank you for the time you sat me down and talked to me about the note I wrote to mom and begged you not to read because I was depressed and I didn’t want to disappoint you.

All the times you taught me martial arts in our family dojo were all times I took for granted because I was so young.

These are all blessed memories now, in the past, but unforgotten. Each life lesson you taught me, even in the smallest of examples, and in the smallest details of everyday life are still with me. Like when you talked about how proud you were to hold your children’s hand when the walked across a street and how some dads didn’t. Or when you talked about books and how they were the ultimate treasures in life to have. I still read daddy.

You weren’t only my mentor, but also one of the greatest influences in my life and I treasure it, sadly, now, more than I did then.

I don’t only remember the great times we had together, but the bad too. Like when you got the call that you were going to be laid off from you job in two weeks on the day of my brother’s graduation. You still kept a smile and pushed the bad feelings to the side for Alex’s greatest accomplishment so far.

Everything you did inspired me. Your confident and confined posture, with you head held high and shoulders back. Intimidating to everyone who didn’t know you yet no one knew why. No one knew you were a black belt. I still walk with my shoulders back today.

The love we shared, father and daughter, only strengthened our bond because I knew you and mom would do anything for me and teach me everything you knew, and that you did dad.

When cancer took you, I was devastated but I kept my head held high like you taught me. You kept everything as close to normal as possible for everyone,even though things were far from normal then. You did your best for your family even though you were the one hurting, emotionally and physically.

Everybody hurts still but we are making it daddy, and it was you, as my mentor and father that helps me through everything I do, and everything I will do.

Thank you daddy, for being my mentor, I love you. Your chickadee.