From Sarah to Dad: ‘Thank you for not telling people I hid on the stairs during the scary bits’

Dear Dad,

You have known me for 15 years. You are inwardly saying ‘it feels longer’ right about now. I would say you would also know that I wouldn’t be the best at voicing my feelings. Somehow, putting pen to paper is easier than saying it out loud, so here goes:

I could say “thank you” a million times over and it wouldn’t even come close to covering it.

Thank you for introducing me to all kinds of music, especially (and you know what’s coming), Bruce Springsteen. He is a God and I love sharing this totally healthy obsession with you. As well as Bruce, thanks for The Beatles, David Bowie, Paul Simon and Mark Knopfler. They are glorious musicians that I probably never would have found and listened to if you weren’t my Dad. Heck, if you weren’t my Dad, I might have become a Directioner! *Shudders*

Thank you for watching Prison Break with me. Thank you for not telling people I hid on the stairs during the scary bits. And thank you for shouting me when they were over to come back in.

Thank you for introducing me to reading, starting with Brer Rabbit. I remember you would tell me a new story every night. Thank you for renting me Billy Elliot, because you knew I’d love it. Thank you for saving articles from the newspaper that you thought I’d like.

Thank you for taking me blackberry picking in October every year, and then making blackberry crumble when we got home. And of course, eating it for breakfast the next morning. Why does it always taste better at 7am?

One special thank you I have to add is for accepting, with enthusiasm, every pair of socks I presented you with. It must have been hard acting like it was the best present ever, every birthday, Christmas and Fathers Day for 10 years.

Thank you for coming to dance shows that I knew you detested. Thank you for helping me with Maths homework, even if you were equally as perplexed as I was.

I’m nearly done now, because I need to get back to studying (yay). So I have one or two last things to say.

Thank you for late nights watching TV, pot au chocolat, air guitar in the living room, dancing to the radio on a Saturday morning and the Galaxy bar of chocolate you just gave me. I’m eating it right now and it’s yum.

I thought this was going to be hard to write. But I managed to do it in 15 minutes. And I thank you for making it so easy. I meant every word.

Thanks Dad.

Love Sarah