To all the dads out there raising daughters who are compassionate, confident, and bold world-changers, thank you.

For teaching our precious girls how to color outside of the lines, and create their own life design, thank you. 

For showing our daughters that there is nothing in this world they can’t try or do, thank you. 

For wiping away the tears, absorbing the emotions, and many times just simply holding them in silence, thank you. 

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For having patience to spare, when a mother’s tank is depleted, thank you.

For stepping out of your comfort zones, and into our daughters’ hearts and souls, thank you. 

For quietly tucking a tiny, invisible hammer into their back pockets in case any glass ceilings get in their way, thank you.

For stepping up to fill in positions you never knew were available for application, thank you. 

To all the dads who have secretly stolen their little girls’ hearts to keep them safe for eternity, thank you.

You are the heroes.

You are the tear-wipers.

You are the heart-menders.

You are the secret-keepers.

You are the role models.

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And you will always and forever be our daughters’ first love.