Mike

The person that I admire most is my father, Mike. My dad has always been a huge part of my life. My parents divorced when I was three years old and he fought for two years for custody of me. My dad loved me so much that he put himself in major debt just so that he could see me Tuesdays and every other weekend. It was hard to understand everything that was happening when I was so young but I knew that I loved my dad more than anything in the world, which irritated my mother to extremes. My mother did anything she could to keep me away from my father but I always went back to him. It says a lot when a father sticks around after a bad divorce and wants to be there for his child. My mother's other husbands never did that. My sister's father and my brother's father both took off without so much as a single child support check. My dad could have easily left after the divorce but he didn't, which is one reason I appreciate him so much. Growing up, my dad really struggled with money but still found a way to provide for me. Of course, we have had our disagreements like every father and daughter should, but to sound cliche, it's all out of love. My dad still remains to be the one constant in my life, he still comes to Chicago to have lunch with me and go to the movies. He'll drive an hour and a half each way just to see me for 10 minutes. I'm a lot like my father, not just physically, because I happen to look just like him, but emotionally as well. Watching my dad be so strong and independent has really made an impact on my life. I'm the farthest thing from codependent because of him. He continues to be a very big part of my life and I couldn't be more thankful.