Dear Step-Dad,
I often wonder what you were doing on the day I was born. Maybe you were at work, eating a gas station burrito for lunch, or having drinks with friends. You had no idea that, a thousand miles away, your future wife was giving birth to your oldest daughter. I could say I wish you had been there from the start, but I truly believe God brought you into my life at the perfect time.
You’re not my biological father. I don’t carry your last name (yet), and I don’t look like you. Any man can father a child and put his name on a birth certificate. But it takes a real man to love and raise a child who isn’t his own. Your love is a choice—and you chose me. Even when my biological father broke my heart over and over, you were always there to pick up the pieces. Every hug you gave helped put me back together.
I was nine when I met you. God sent my mom, my brother, and me halfway across the country to find you. Who would have thought that my mom flashing her phone number across a hot, sweaty warehouse would lead to marriage? You and Mom are perfect for each other, and you show her the love she deserves.
You don’t get thanked enough. I know work is hard on you, but you never give up. You do everything you can for us. You’re a true role model. Even when I rebelled with my choices, you taught me what a real man is—someone who doesn’t cheat, doesn’t choose drugs or alcohol over love, doesn’t abuse, and never makes me feel small. You’ve shown me that I’m worth something.
You’ve watched me grow all these years—my first prom, my basketball games, my art shows, my graduation. You and Mom were always in the front row. You’ve always told me to be myself and supported me through every change of heart and every mistake. Somehow, you even survived my teenage years—proof of your patience and your love.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the woman I’ve become. Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today. You are an incredible man, and when people ask me who my dad is, I proudly say your name.
I know you didn’t create me. Your name isn’t on my birth certificate. I don’t share your last name (yet), and I don’t look like you. But none of that matters. For the past 11 years, you’ve been there for every parent-teacher conference, every big moment, every time I needed a dad. You made me yours. You never made me question if I was loved.
I get emotional every time I talk about you because you’ve never let me down. When others have left or hurt me, you’ve stayed. And at the end of the day, I know I will always have you.
Thank you for everything. I’m so proud to be your daughter.
Credit Katelyn Miller