To our father,

Today we found the letters you wrote to us, hidden away amongst your things.

The words you put down on paper so long ago. The promise you swore. We aren't sure if you ever meant for us to see those words; heaven knows you will never see these ones, though we hope somehow they will reach you anyway as you watch over us from above.

We want to tell you that in our eyes you were the best father in all the world.

You were ours.

Homer...I have lived a good life. I need you to know that. However many downs I have endured there have been so many more ups. So many adventures and experiences. I have you to thank for that. You who taught me to try anything. To try everything. You who taught me that failing at something doesn't mean it wasn't worth doing.

I have lived a life I am proud of. A life I hope you were proud of.

I know I always gave you a hard time and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I didn't always appreciate you or respect you as I should have, but I always loved you. Looking back it's easy to see how alike we were. How much I took after you. I'm glad for that. Proud of that.

You were my hero.

Dad...I never stopped needing you. No matter how old I got, how independent I may have seemed, I was always your little girl and you were always the father I needed. I couldn't have asked for a better one.

All those little ways you were there for me. Keeping me safe. Encouraging me.

You always believed in me. Even when I doubted myself, you saw something in me, something amazing and you encouraged it to grow.

I wouldn't be half the woman I am without that support.

I wish I had shown you how much your help meant to me. How much I relied on you.

You were my rock.

Daddy...I never grew too big for you to hold. Never outgrew the hugs you would wrap me in as we both drifted to sleep.

My favourite memory of childhood was climbing into your arms and letting you rock me back and forth holding me close to you. I felt safe there.

Bart and Lisa would always tease me. Would tell me I was getting too big to be such a daddy's girl, too big for hugs and bedtime stories, but I didn't care.

I was never ashamed of it. Never embarrassed to be your baby girl.

I wasn't like them. I was never as boisterous, or as clever. I was me.

And I loved you daddy.

You were my world.