Letter of Gratitude: Dad

Dear Dad,

I’m not sure how we got here but I want you to know that you are loved. I wouldn’t change anything from the first 20 years. You were supportive, present, encouraging, protective and my favorite teacher. You were my hero.

I admire the unwavering support that you showed towards me and our family growing up. You taught me that if something was going to carry the Corvo name, it needed to be done with the utmost integrity – anything worth doing is worth doing right. Thank you for being supportive.

I admire you being present. Our family was super busy but we always made it work. Being involved with sports, music and cultural things, it was a blessing that you would be present for the milestones. Thank for you being present AND active (Thank you for being the resident photographer at sporting events).

I admire your encouragement. Life is filled with curveballs. My biggest challenge has always been to convert my energy into something constructive. You constantly pushed me to find the lesson and move on (an idle mind is the devil’s playground). The only failure is giving up. Thank you for pushing me to convert my weaknesses into strengths.

I admire you being protective. Benefits of growing up with an overprotective father is that boys were typically well behaved (and respectful). A few troublemakers slipped through the cracks here and there but I hope you know that I’m well known for my impossible expectations of the male species. Thank you for teaching me my value-added and to never settle for anything less than pure magic.

I admire you teaching me how to be completely independent. Thank you for celebrating my mind rather than to just get through life with a pretty smile. I have confidence that anyone I allow into my life is because I enjoy them, not because I need them.

It hurts that I don’t know how to fix things. It hurts that I’ve resorted to an open letter to social media to share my thoughts. Perhaps I feel this is a safer space…

Anyways, I love you, dad. I hope to soon greet the supportive, present, encouraging and protective father I once knew.

Always remember the way you treat your wife sets the standard to what your daughter expects from a man AND the way you speak to your daughter sets the standard to how she views herself. Happy Father’s Day!

Love,
Jess

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