Happy Birthday Dad!

I know, I know. For those who know me, you'll constantly hear me complaining about my dad, ranting about him or hating on him in general. Yes, I do admit I have daddy issues but thats probably because I'm stubborn and in denial. My father is also an extremely stubborn man so of course, when you put two stubborn people together, something is bound to go wrong. Being quite a sensitive gal and he being an almost emotional-less man, we constantly ended up in arguments. Putting all my repressed feelings of him aside, he really is my hero (though many time I may say it with hesitation).

Throughout my life, my father has provided really well for me because he didn't want me to live a life through the hardships like he did. He provided me to life happily and presented me with some of the best opportunities but he also taught me to survive and fight for the future. The experiences and opportunities he has given me are all in hopes to prepare me for the future when he and my mom are no longer here. One of the most important lessons I have learned from my dad is that we have to fight in order to survive and succeed. With hard work and determination, nothing is impossible. He never had the opportunity to go to college but he showed me that with hard work (and perhaps a bit of luck), you will succeed. He always says, " like salmon, we must always swim against the current." He taught me to keep on swimming and fighting and never give up because tomorrow will always be a better day.

I still remember the time when I had a science project in 4th grade. It was an egg drop and we have to figure out a way and design something to drop an egg down 3 floors without breaking it. I remember the enthusiasm and joy that I had when I told my father and he agreed to help me. Looking back, I felt that it was really one of those bonding moments between a father and daughter that I will never forget. I'll never forget the joy and feeling of success that I had after we built out box and how confident I was when I brought it to school on Monday. I was so excited to show the teacher the design that my father and I built together. Until today, I still remember the exact design for this egg drop.

CRH Graduation '09

What my father has given me doesn't just stop there. He provided me with the one of the best and most unforgettable experiences of my life. I didn't realize this until it all ended. Without my father, I would not have had the opportunity to go to Choate. I remember the first day I went to Choate, standing in my room in Nichols wondering why my father would ship me off to boarding school. I knew it would make me smarter at the time. Even as a senior in Choate, I was still in doubt why this was such a good opportunity for me. It was not until I graduate and left did I realize what it has done for me and how it really changed my life. It was more than just school where I learn as much as possible to go to college. It taught me how to grow up and really "fight" (as my father likes to put it). It prepared me for whats to come in life and really opened me to the world-the things that he always teach me in life. I cannot thank him enough for giving me that opportunity.

Going to college would have seemed like a breeze for me after going to Choate. That was certainly not the case. It was not until recently did my life turn around for me in college. Even though he pestered me and got mad at me, he never stop believing in me. He always believed that I was "swimming against the current" and that one day, things would turn around. There was this time in the past two years that I literally stopped talking to him. I put down the phone on him one night and I did not talk to him for almost 3 months. I even ended up in arguments with my mom because of it. Even through that time, he never gave up on me and hoped that I was a salmon and get through it. Though it was hard for me, he always told me to never look back.

Sometimes he does some of the most annoying things in the world and I constantly get mad and annoyed at him. If you know me well enough, you would probably heard me rant about the countless annoying encounters. But at the end of the day, he wanted to provide me with everything good in life so I could live life easier in the future and keep me from getting lost in the big bad world when he is not around anymore. Everyday I fear that I have let him down but he has never given up on me. And, that means the a whole lot more than anything else. Words cannot describe how much I owe him for all the things that he has given me to make me a happier and more fruitful person. Every day, he swims like a salmon, always against the current. To fight for a better life for me. I cannot be ever more grateful for all of it. I guess thats enough sappiness for now. Happy Birthday, Daddy!