Happy father's day!

Happy father's day to my daddy, who began his role in my life as my step dad Mark. I know I don't always make it clear that there is a different between father and step dad, but to me Mark really lose the step dad title a while ago.

I was told when Daddy married mom that I could choose to call him whatever I wanted, so long as it wasn't rude. Both my brother and I chose to call him by his name, and he was fine with that. But no matter what we called him, he had decided that he would treat us as if we were his own.

He was always involved, whether it was playing games with us, teaching us, or even taking on some of the grosser roles of parenthood.

When I was much younger, that house used to scare me a lot. Daddy would sit up half the night telling me stories to get me to fall asleep. And if I woke up from a nightmare, he would come in and try to calm me down, and if that meant staying up all night telling me stories when he had to get up for work the next day, that was what he would do.

When they took me in to their home after the psychiatrist told them I would be dead in a year if they didn't get me out, mom was bedridden. So daddy did what needed to be done to save me.

He has done everything a dad should do. Take care of me, raise me, teach me to be compassionate and kind hearted, but also tough enough to handle the world. He never belittled me, or sneered at the things I love.

He just loves me, and he does what he thinks is best for me. When you hug him, you know it's a real hug. He is genuine.

The fact that we aren't blood related means nothing. He is my daddy, and I am his daughter. He was what I needed when I didn't have it.

Happy father's day, Daddy!