Message to my daughter on her 1st birthday

Wow, where to begin... A year ago, March 25th - 2009, was the single greatest day of your dad's (and likely you mom's) life. You finally came into the world after 9+ months of being your mom's "little" parasite. You stayed in there a little longer then we had hoped but I guess mom made it pretty comfy in there for you. You just needed a bit more time to cook and it looks like what they say is true - "you can't rush perfection" and "good things come to those who wait". Good things is clearly a gross understatement.

I don't know if I will truly ever be able to explain how much of an impact your arrival had on my life but I am going to try. The very first time I held you in my arms I wept with a happiness I don't know if I have ever felt before. Meeting and marrying your mom was a close second but holding all 7lbs of you that afternoon made me feel like a superhero. Not because I had helped create another living person but because you made me feel like I could move mountains to keep you safe from harm. We had a special bond right from the start, you and I, and I knew right away that daddy's little girl had him hooked. I walked the halls of the hospital all night and day to get you to sleep while mom rested and from then on we were our own little dynamic duo.

It was a rough year on dad (and mom) on a personal level and you were that little beacon of happiness everyday. After a crappy day at work, at a job I was unhappy doing, you were the toothless smile at the end of the day that always made my heart melt. You were (are) the driving force that made me look at "life" and decide that I had to make a change for me, for mom, and more importantly for you... By the time you read this on your own your dad will be a fire fighter and I (we) have you to thank for that. Though mom was a big help in deciding, you were the catalyst that made me realize that I needed and deserved to be happy in life.

Between you and mom, the two of you make me want to be a better man, husband and most important, father. Now I know that somewhere down the line I will screw up and you'll probably "hate" dad at some point and slam a few doors in frustration (if genetics prevail). Just know that it all comes from a good place, a loving and caring place and maybe in the future you'll see that you're always daddy's little girl...

I love you with all my heart Brooklyn and knowing that no matter how up and down work gets or life gets or how exhausting the day-to-day can be, knowing that I have your smile and those chubby cheeks to come home to makes it all worth while... Mom's pretty cool too...

Happy Birthday angel, love always...

Dad