Dear Kayleigh,

To start, you need to know that family isn’t who you are related to but to the family you chose. You will realize this and it will become a game changer.

You don’t know your biological Father and you will never meet him. You found out about him at 13 and it’s going to be a lot. So many questions and feelings will come from it. He will send you a letter on your 18th birthday. It will be full of grammar mistakes that make you cringe, and confusing excuses for his absence. And it will only give you an ugly seed of doubt.

Was I not good enough for him to stick around?

Suddenly all those years so far that sum up who you are as a person will feel unimportant. You’ll question why he left and if your blood relation keeps him up at night. If he looks at his family and sees you or if he would be proud of the young woman you are. You’ll go over every what-if, and wonder why such an effortless letter was even sent.

But please understand that he would have been a Father and not a Dad. Your Dad is the man who raised you and showed you why a daughter needs a Dad. Showed up to every choir concert cheering and giving you everything you needed. A Dad shows up. A Father does not. You will always be enough to your Dad and he will hug you when you get this letter and question your worth as a person. Wipe your tears away and comfort you. Tell you that he is the luckiest Dad in the world. Your Father missed out. And you got an amazing Dad. You are enough to him.