Dear Dad,

Gratitude is an interesting feeling due to the fact that it can only be experienced in retrospect. I realized this about a year ago when I was thinking of the complex relationship between myself and my father. For much of my childhood I either acted as if he never existed or expressed my feelings towards him by using words like “hate”. 

 Since then I have realized that my father is directly responsible for the person I am today, without my experience of him I would be unrecognizable. The sleepless nights and long days helped me get tougher, my skin got thicker and I got stronger. When I was much younger I was always an inch away from breaking down crying and I cared greatly about the words of those around me.

 You can only experience gratitude when thinking back and though it took me many years to realize it, I’m grateful for my father. 

Sincerely, Tom