The responsibility of raising my daughter with a commitment to consistency, unconditional love, dedication, guidance and being a good listener is the most important decision I have made in my life. I understand that my decisions, attitude, and love have a profound influence in how my child will ultimately make her own decisions throughout life. I travel throughout the year and when we share those precious moments together it’s quite obvious to me that my influences good or bad have an impact on how she anticipates and processes daily choices.

It takes my breath away seeing the stars sparkling in her eyes when we get together after a long trip away. Her smile from ear to ear when catching her first fish, scoring a goal in soccer or singing and dancing in front of a large audience. These are the memories that last forever and can only happen by staying involved as a Dad.

Life with her is more to do with the quality of time spent versus the quantity. Whether reading, swimming, fishing, hiking or just simply passing the time together doing absolutely nothing is more important than anything I could be doing elsewhere. I thank God and family everyday for helping me understand that being a Dad and focusing on my incredible child, is in fact a gift.

My daughter has changed my life in so many ways. I can see the big picture and I don’t understand how easy it is for some men to fall into the pits of selfless and irresponsibility. Shelby is growing up so quickly, time really does fly by and as the years pass the more I realize that, in my case, I have one chance to be that Dad that every little child on earth deserves to have, and I’m providing that chance for her.

What a wonderful feeling it is to understand these responsibilities and take this incredible journey knowing deep down inside my heart that I put forth my best effort for myself, our family and Shelby’s sake. I love being a Dad!