There is this one man. He tries ways to show his love for me, but sometimes, I take him for granted.

This Father’s Day, to show my appreciation for him, I have listed 9 ways in which I know he loves my two siblings and I:

1. When he drives us around, regardless of whether it’s along his commute, and no matter the time of the day (or night)
2. When he brings us a glass of water before bed, together with a couple of health supplements
3. When he helps my sister and I to blow dry our hair
4. When he asks to FaceTime whenever one of us is away from home
5. When he brings us out on family outings and overseas trips
6. When he listens to my rants about work, life, relationships, even menstrual cramps
7. When he encourages us, pushing us to fight for our own futures
8. When he gets upset upon hearing how we were bullied or treated unkindly, and when he stands up for us before teaching us to stand up for ourselves
9. When he hugs us

While not disregarding mothers, fathers do not have an easy role to play either. Balancing the (sometimes conflicting) roles of being the stoic protector of the family and being the fun-loving dad can be hard at times.

For the past 24 years of my life, I cannot think of an instance when my dad was not there for me. He has always been there, infallibly. Even though we might not always understand each other, at the end of the day I believe we both know how dear we are to each other. My dad is my role model, and my pillar of strength. I’ve never stopped looking up to him, and even with all his embarrassing quirks, he is my definition of a perfect dad. (Side note to my future husband, you have a lot to live up to.)

Every father is different, but this Father’s Day, give your dad the recognition he deserves. For being there, for giving you the best he has, and for just being your dad.

I love you, Dad.

P.S. I love you too, Mum! (I know you’re reading this, and will now proceed to wave your iPad excitedly at Dad to get him to read it too)