Dear Dad,
You came into my life when I was just two years old, and stayed for 41 years, and now you are my second dad in heaven.
I never thought that one day you might not be here. I know you weren’t well, but you beat the odds so many times that it became hard to believe you weren’t made of steel. You were unbelievably strong, even to the last day. I’m so sorry I took your strength for granted.
We had so many wonderful shared moments. I'll never forget the day we walked to the lake in Rowland. I went to the edge and found myself in quicksand. As I began sinking, you pulled me out, even though I lost my shoe. I was so scared, but you saved my life for the second time.
I could write a book about how much fun we had together. We went to Angels games, saw the Mighty Ducks, and attended USC football games. You always ate my baked treats; your favorites were the chocolate-covered strawberries and white chocolate Oreos I made you on Valentine’s Day. You wore my water polo shirt with pride, kept my letter even though I never got a letterman’s jacket, attended my parent-teacher conferences, and showed me how to ride a bike. You made the best Christmas breakfast, and despite us being totally broke, you and Mom figured out how to put gifts under the tree. I will never forget how much you loved watching us unwrap the gifts; you got so much joy from that. I always ruined the surprises by waking up and peeking under the tree—I think you knew. I’ll never forget the stereo CD player from Crazy Gideon's for my birthday one year. I loved it until it stopped playing. You gave me the Contour for graduation, and I took care of it like it was a Rolls Royce—I thought it was the only car I’d ever own. Every time I drove it, I thought of you going to work, reversing out of the driveway because of the backup beeping sound—lol. I’ll never forget you brushing my hair in a side ponytail or weird poof. It always looked kinda funky; I think everyone knew it was Dad hair day.
You taught me that not everyone was my friend and that in life, you just need a few good friends, your family, and a home. You showed me that it’s okay to make mistakes, learn from them, and become someone better. You came to all my graduations, from first grade to esthetics school. We both went back to school and continued to learn. I’ll never forget attending your business class graduation at USC. I hope you know I was proud of you, and I know you were proud of me—I’ll never, ever forget that.
I saw your heart soften and smile so much more after Apryl had the girls and how much you loved the birthday bounce house—that was definitely a memorable gift! I hope you remember how much fun we had on my birthday when we went trick-or-treating with the kids. That was a good day. I hope you forgive me for tearing out the floors in the house and varnishing them in the middle of the night, taking your Led Zeppelin CD set, and taking the car for a spin when you were at work! But once you found out I knew how to drive, you told me to take the car and drop Apryl off at school so you could sleep in—lol.
You loved a yard sale just as much as I did, and I thought it was so cool when you got into Danish furniture. You told me it was all over Texas, and I hoped one day we would go treasure hunting. I used to go into your tool shed and look for interesting things I could take. I still have your screwdriver.
You bought my first rolling makeup case so I didn’t need to use a toolbox anymore, and that was really special. Getting you into skincare with Zirh and grapeseed oil was a joy. I looked forward to getting you a Zirh kit every Christmas; you really appreciated nice oils and grooming products. That made me feel like we had a special bond.
When I moved out of the house on my own, you told me, “Your mom said you are moving out, and I am sure you’ll be okay. As long as you don’t get into drugs, you can do anything you want in this world.” Well, Dad, I took your advice and never did anything that could hurt my potential. I hope you know so much of who I am today is because of you. I don’t know what life would have been like without you, but I don’t have to imagine because you were there every day and changed the course of my life. No, our lives weren’t perfect, but they were filled with a lifetime of special moments.
You made me a better person, and I am forever grateful and thankful for you, up until our last minutes in the hospital.
I’ll miss you saying, “How’s my girl?” or “So, how you doing?” and, of course, “Mmmmhmmm.” I hope you know so much of who I am today is because of you—your guidance, advice, and love.
I truly LOVE you, and in your honor, I will take good care of my health, keep aiming for the stars, and go to NYC with Mom. You put up a good fight, and you deserve to rest peacefully now…
I hope you know you will be thought of every day until we meet again.
I love you deeply ❤️
Your daughter,
Lesley
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