Foo - To my stepdaughter:

Dear V

It's just a month a way from your fifteenth birthday! I can hardly believe
it, we've known each other for six years already---five years as your stepdad.
We've had something in common: you never had a father figure for the first
ten years of your life, and my experience with raising children was limited
to Father Knows Best reruns.

The first two years were the toughest. How hard was it to share your Mom
when you never had to before? "I hate you and I'll always hate you," (uttered
in the quietest, steely-eyed Clint Eastwood delivery) made me shrink inside, yet
somehow I never gave up. With the help of your mom and all the patience I
could muster you gradually began to trust me.

Together we began to find out about the biological father you never knew, who
never even sent you a bithday card. You met siblings you had never known and
even travelled to another state to be a bridesmaid for a half sister you had known
for only a few months. You cried when you learned about the suicide of your
father...you had long dreamed of someday meeting him and establishing a
connection. Now it would never be possible.

When you first said "I love you", I felt like I had won the Tour de Gruene: and
you well know what that means. I'm not sure why fate brought me into your
life but I do know I'm the luckiest stepdad in Texas.

Whatever happens in our future you know I'll always be there for you---even if
it's only changing the tire on you '98 Nissan.

Love, Dad

ok?

Sweet post!

i was afraid to post anything, thought it might be rude or somthing but man, your the grattest dad ever.

Did you tell this to her?

Did you tell this to her?
Rehearsing. Thought about leaving a letter on her desk, but
too impersonal. Sometimes girls still leave me tongue-tied!

Rehearsing. Thought about leaving a letter on her desk, but
too impersonal. Sometimes girls still leave me tongue-tied!
I think it will be appreciated either way. If you find yourself tongue-tied, I'd suggest just leaving it written out. Some people aren't the best speakers. She'll get the drift either way, and I'm sure it will be appreciated.

She's 15 and she has a car?

BTW, good thing your her dad and not her biological father.

My dad wrote me a really sweet letter when I was 14 or 15. He left it tucked in a library book I was reading. It meant the world to me. Very nice!

She's 15 and she has a car?

BTW, good thing your her dad and not her biological father.

The car is now our back up vehicle, but in due time she'll inherit
it. Sunroof and standard transmission, it screams "My first car!"

How incredibly sweet. Letters are wonderful, because you can pull them out and read them over and over again when you feel down and need to hear some kind words. :) You seem like a wonderful parent! I'm sure she's very lucky to have you in her life. :)

things like this make me wonder about leaving written messages to my step-children and my biological (sounds creepy) children. I sometimes wish my Dad had done something like that as we never really talked much. My family doesn't really talk much. I haven't written any such letters yet, but I have made it a point to hug my children daily and tell them I love them even though that kind of outward expression is sometimes difficult for me. It gets easier as the years go by. Still contemplating a letter for perhaps after I am gone.

Very nice. I think she'll cherish it.

Dear V

It's just a month a way from your fifteenth birthday! I can hardly believe
it, we've known each other for six years already---five years as your stepdad.
We've had something in common: you never had a father figure for the first
ten years of your life, and my experience with raising children was limited
to Father Knows Best reruns.

The first two years were the toughest. How hard was it to share your Mom
when you never had to before? "I hate you and I'll always hate you," (uttered
in the quietest, steely-eyed Clint Eastwood delivery) made me shrink inside, yet
somehow I never gave up. With the help of your mom and all the patience I
could muster you gradually began to trust me.

Together we began to find out about the biological father you never knew, who
never even sent you a bithday card. You met siblings you had never known and
even travelled to another state to be a bridesmaid for a half sister you had known
for only a few months. You cried when you learned about the suicide of your
father...you had long dreamed of someday meeting him and establishing a
connection. Now it would never be possible.

When you first said "I love you", I felt like I had won the Tour de Gruene: and
you well know what that means. I'm not sure why fate brought me into your
life but I do know I'm the luckiest stepdad in Texas.

Whatever happens in our future you know I'll always be there for you---even if
it's only changing the tire on you '98 Nissan.

Love, Dad

CL MC k thx.