Dad asks you for an essay about him

Most fathers just ask for normal gifts on Father’s Day, like those greeting cards you can find at stores. My father, however, has asked for the same specific thing since I was 7: An essay about him. I’ve always dreaded Father’s Day because of this. Every time I try to write an essay, I have no idea how to start, and then I have no idea how to continue, and I’m sure that if I do continue the essay will be horrible. In fact, I’m thinking that my essay is horrible right now. But my dad stubbornly insists on making me write one essay per year about him on Father’s Day.

My father doesn’t do this for the sake of writing essays, though. He doesn’t want me to write an essay just to compliment him. He wants to help me learn. This isn’t just learning to write, this is learning to become more confident, learning to be able to express yourself, learning to overcome my fears of being humiliated by writing a poorly written essay. Each year, I begin my essay the same way, but I end them differently every time. I end them better each time.

My father helps me learn by making me write essays, but also by taking me to fencing, cello classes, Lego Robotics or whatever else I happen to be interested in. He does this by buying books, or taking me to school, or helping me with my homework, or by running to my bed in the middle of the night. He has done this so many times that I often let what he does fade into the background of life and take this for granted, even though each time he does something it takes up his time and energy. Each event is small, but he has done this and cared for me for my entire life. Because of this I’d like to thank him…even though sometimes I wish he didn’t help this much, like every time I start writing my essay for Father’s Day.