My dad has always been my hero because he is a great man and a well-rounded person. He has always been there when I needed him and even when I didn’t.

Even though my dad didn’t have an easy childhood, he turned out to be a great man. Growing up in a typical Mexican neighborhood, he was always getting into trouble, and has plenty of broken bones to show for it. My grandparents tried to set him straight, but he was too stubborn to listen. At 17 he came to Arizona to pick vegetables and fruits. He never finished high school.

Eventually he got into construction work. After he married my mom, he bought a small trailer where we lived for a while. He always did everything he could so that our family had everything we needed. As his jobs improved, we bought bigger trailers until eventually we bought a house. My dad would always do the impossible so that my sister and I could have the life he never had. Even today he works like crazy just so we can have all the things he wants us to have.

I’m not exactly sure how my dad came to be the man that he is, whether it was his days in the streets or his seven brothers and sisters. Either way, I thank God each day for the time I can spend with him, because I always have a blast. He doesn’t just try to be the best father for me, but also one of my best friends. I don’t know what I would do without him.

I hope you know that you’ll be my hero forever and that I’ll love you just as long, Dad.