Once upon a time, I was a little girl who was looking for a Dad, not just a biological Dad (anyone can be that kind of dad) - a real Dad!

     My natural father was a drunk and a womanizer. My mother had recently left him (after he finally decided to have an affair with her best friend, great best friend right? NOT!). Any way, my mother left Texas and moved to Waukesha, WI - to an apartment building by the motor works.

   One day my mother had been crying and telling me how lonely she was. Of course, with me being the one who always 'fixes' things (as that is what a real nurse does), I decided that, since my biological father was such a dead beat, I would tell my mother, "Mommy, don't worry. I will find us a daddy!"

   So I went from door to door in the apartment building.

   Imagine a 5 year-old doing this.......asking, "Will you be my daddy?" Of course I had several people slam the door on me (I wonder why? Right!) That was until I knocked on the door across from my mother's apartment. I asked the same line,
"Will you be my daddy?" He said, "I am not your daddy but you are welcome to come in and sit down." 

  He began talking to me he told me a story of Brer Rabbit and the briar patch. After that we talked for a while, and then I went back to my mother's apartment and said to my mother, "I found us a daddy." I then began packing my belongings.

   My mother thought I was crazy (probably, but no worse than she was). Then my mom was introduced to my future dad, and that night he told me I could not move in to his place because he had to go to work, but he would talk to me in the morning.

  That night all those years ago led to my mom dating this man and marrying him. Then he adopted me.

  They were married for 39 years until he died. He was not just my mother's husband, he was and is a dad in every way. He was everyone's friend and, ultimately, he was not just my dad, he was my best friend.

   Dad, I miss you! And anyone who denied you missed out and was not just a superficial idiot! They were stupid and lived in another world (not the real world).

   I consider myself so lucky that you chose me to be your daughter, and I thank you for all your love and patience that has made me the nurse executive I am today. Thanks to you, you taught me that it takes a real woman to go out into the real world and develop a career and make something of herself.


Your daughter,
Trisha