If organs were humans, a father would represent the brain: dynamic yet all encompassing, cautious yet logical and cerebral yet emotionally intelligent. When you’re born, he’s afraid to hold you, for your tiny toes and wondrous gaze invoke within him the full spectrum of human emotion. It is in that moment that he vows to protect your heart, with brain and brawn. He’s the parent who lifts you and releases you momentarily in the air, and it’s in that fleeting moment that you learn how to fly.

As you grow, you realize that underneath the staunch exterior is a heart that’s softer than candle wax. He teaches you how to drive yet screams in anticipation of a broken traffic rule. Your safety and well being is his first priority yet it’s he who encourages you to fly far from your cage of comfort, for he trusts that his upbringing will never lead you astray. When you’re a child, he holds your purse strings but as you grow, you realize that you forever hold onto his heartstrings.

He hates to shop but will drive you everywhere to find the perfect dress for prom. Unaware of the latest fashion trends, he pairs the wrong colors, prints and shoes all in one ensemble yet it’s upon your “expert advice” and refusal to budge that he grudgingly goes to change. He may not wear his heart on his sleeve but in your presence, he almost always wears a smile.

He’s outnumbered by the women in the family, yet it’s his wisdom that makes him a man of a few words, not his silence. In the midst of unabated emotion and commotion, he’s the lucid voice of reason, for he’s the master facilitator who has the ability to bring order to the chaos. Some days he’s your mentor, on other days, he’s the patient ear that listens as you cast away your worries in his comforting embrace. Always a stickler for time, he incessantly reminds you of the clock as you sit between a pile of clothes indecisive about what to wear.

He may not be the most dialed number on your phone but he will always be the first person you call when it matters the most. His snores are like fire alarms but it’s his sheer presence that comforts you during the darkest nights. He’s the proudest when you prove him wrong and the single most dejected individual when you let him down. He attributes your victories to your abilities and your shortcomings to himself. He’s the hardest to please and the easiest to disappoint yet it’s not his lack of faith in you that causes this phenomenon, rather, it’s his inherent acknowledgement of your potential that makes him your toughest critic.

He leads through example, for it is through him that you know and understand chivalry. Ever wondered how the father-daughter dance is the most emotional moment during any wedding? It’s perhaps because it’s he who teaches you how a princess is treated so someday you may be a queen to the deserving king.

He who says change is a constant must not have met my father, for never once has his love and priorities toward his daughters changed. He’s the bar I compare every man to, for he raises it higher with every action. If all the world is a jewel, his daughters are his crowning glory. Regardless of his day job, he’s always a part time friend and a full time superhero.

A man can be many things, but for a daughter, a father is everything! Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful fathers out there, especially mine!