My daughter sent this to me yesterday she found it online, she's 24. You're doing what you can and I hope it all works out. And yes, some people suck.

"Dear Dad,
You’ve gone a really long time without being thanked. I'm not talking about thanks for things like opening the Gatorade bottle I couldn't or checking my tires when my car’s maintenance light is flashing, but rather the thanks I owe you for shaping me into the person I am today.
Thank you for teaching me what I deserve and for not letting me settle for anything less.
While the whole world was telling me I wasn’t good enough, you were there to tell me I was. Whether this was with boys, a friend, or anything else, you always built my confidence to a place I couldn’t build it to on my own. You showed me what my great qualities were and helped me feel unique. But most of all, you never let me settle for anything less than what I deserved, even when I wanted to. Without you, I wouldn’t be nearly as ambitious, outgoing or strong.
Thank you for giving me someone to make proud.
It’s hard to work hard when it’s just for myself, but so easy when it’s for you. All through school, nothing made me happier than getting a good grade back because I knew I got to come home and tell you. With everything I do, you give me a purpose.
Thank you for showing me what selflessness looks like.
You are the prime example of what putting your family first looks like. If me wanting something means that you can’t get what you want, you’ll always sacrifice. From wearing the same t-shirts you’ve had since I was in elementary school so I could buy the new clothes I wanted, to not going out with your friends so you could come to my shows, you never made a decision without your family at the forefront of your mind. If there is one quality you have that I look up to you for the most, it’s your ability to completely put your needs aside and focus entirely on the wants of others.
Thank you for being the voice in the back of my head that shows me wrong from right.
Even though many of your dad-isms like “always wear a seatbelt” easily get old, whenever I’m in a situation and can’t decide if what I’m doing is right or wrong, I always can hear you in the back of my head pointing me in the right direction. While I may not boost your ego often enough by telling you you’re always right, you are.
Thank you for being real with me when nobody else will.
Being your child hasn’t always been full of happiness and encouragement, but that’s what makes you such an integral part of my life. Rather than sugarcoating things and always telling me I was the perfect child, you called me out when I was wrong. But what separates you from other dads is that instead of just knocking me down, you helped me improve. You helped me figure out my faults and stood by me every step of the way as I worked to fix them.
Most of all, thank you for showing me what a great man looks like.
I know that marriage may seem very far down the road, but I just want you to know that whoever the guy I marry is, I know he’ll be right because I have an amazing guy to compare him to. I know you’re not perfect (nobody is), but you’ve raised me in a such a way that I couldn’t imagine my kids being raised any differently. Finding a guy with your heart, drive, and generosity will be tough, but I know it will be worth it.

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Dad, you’re more than just my parent, but my best friend. You’re there for me like nobody else is and I couldn’t imagine being where I am now without you.
Love you forever,
Your little girl"

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

Couple of life lessons here for sure.

Don't leave something near and dear to you unguarded or available for someone to steal.
People suck and will steal anything.
Even securing something doesn't guarantee that it won't be stolen if someone wants it bad enough.

We have all lost or had something stolen that is important to us, it sucks and unfortunately part of life.

If you can't find one or have one made you can check out the ones at Woodcraft. They sell kits where you and your daughter could put it together. Might be fun and make a memory. Just a thought. Ebay would also be a good option is your looking for something vintage.

Unfortunately in this world today you can't trust that people will always do the right thing which is really disheartening.

Just tossing it out there, but my, uh, kids 1988 911 Cabriolet was stolen last week.

Thanks.

Now who is cutting onions?

DANGER! DANGER!!!!

I’m sorry about the pen. That sucks!

One day back I walked out to my carport and my bike was gone but there was another in it’s place that had a flat tire.

In retrospect I probably should have made sure the other one wasn’t stolen- but 20 years ago in Boulder this just seemed the norm. My nice bike was inside- so this was just my bar bike that got traded out. I changed the tire and kept it. I finally donated it a few years ago- but I got a lot of use out of it. I figured someone had to get home and didn’t have a spare on them.

My car was stolen from my high school parking lot, walked out to where it was parked, and only broken glass remained. The car was recovered that night when a friend called and asked if my car was stolen, I told him to call the cops.

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Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes

My buddy had his Red Line BMX stolen from the bike cage at our high school. The dipshit who stole it, waited about a week, sprayed some white paint on it, and rode it to school.

I parked my bike next to it that morning, immediately spotted it as my friend's Red Line, and organized a little welcoming committee for the idiot after school.

Hasn't been an issue yet. Tenants are students who are barely here. Nanny is here when everyone else is out. All ships passing in the night for the most part.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

Because Duffy and I don't have to provide a shotgun. Instead, we tell our son(s) to watch out for the shotgun.

There was a time back in March when my wife and I wished we had a girl. That time, all two seconds of it, was at Disney World, when we saw all little girls dressed up in their princess outfits. I say two seconds, because that was brought to a screeching halt, kind of like a record player scratching, as we watched all the meltdowns.

Think of all the stuff you are missing out on. I got to have lunch at the American Girl restaurant in Chicago. With dolls!

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

I have a theory that says that boys are harder as babies but get progressively more independent and easy to manage as they grow in the adolescents, teens, and young adults. On the other hand, girls start out as a dream, mature quicker, etc... but then just become more and more of a pain in the ass through the teen years until they eventually get married off to someone else and become that guy's problem :-).

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Long Chile was a silly place.

Your theory is well founded in my house. My son was a pain in the ass baby, he never wanted to be alone for more than 5 minutes. As he grew up he did a lot by himself and did pretty well. My daughter was Miss Independent until 5th grade when little girls become bitches to each other. I never knew 10 year old girls could create so much drama. She still has drama in her life but at 24 she manages pretty well.

Good luck with the little one.

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

We've got a 6 and 8 y/o boys.

One thing I'm always thinking about is how I can arm them to be able to navigate crappy people and situations. I also have to realize they'll hurt about something someday that I couldn't do anything about ahead of time.

Sounds like you're a good parent. Others said it, a great opportunity for a cool Christmas or birthday present. Doesn't have to be new either, perhaps a classic or highly sought after out of production model (I know nothing about nice pens).

Also, often the kids doing that stuff in schools have parents that act about the same way.

Still waiting for this day. Think I have a few more years before I get a letter like this. 2 girls, 15 & 16. 16yr old broke down crying this morning because I wouldn't let her go to rowing practice this afternoon.
She needs to get the tires replaced on her car. The two front tires have gouges in them from where she keeps hitting curbs.
Had to listen to why it wasn't fair she couldn't row. After reminding her I gave her a car, pay for her gas and have to shell out for new tires because she can't seem to stop the car before it hits the curbs, she finally stopped complaining.

You'll get there but good luck on the way. It's a rough road.

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

I have two boys (that I wouldn't trade for anything). If people ask, I tell them I only wish I had a girl at Christmas and Easter (when all the cute dresses are in the stores).

If you've a picture of it, it can be sent to a teacher/administrator for distribution around the campus...maybe even to their social media feeds.

As much as people suck, if enough are aware of the pen and its significance, it may be able to be found. Perhaps in time for Christmas.

(I'm speaking as a high school teacher, knowing the type of teachers, administrators, and even students on staff at my school. If a parent were to reach out, it's certainly something I would circulate.)

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#cureMS

I've got girls 13, 11, 11 and 9. My son and I are moving to the basement very soon. And I've started stocking bourbon....

Couldn't agree more- 8 year old daughter is so easy and wonderful- I have never had to raise my voice at her once in her life. I know the teen years could be horrific!

Adding to thread- my biggest pain of being a parent is the fear of what is possibly coming for my son. He has autism. Very low on spectrum and many if not nearly all will not know he was diagnosed as he is now in kinder mainstream classes. But I fear he's very literal and I truly fear he won't understand when people are teasing him as asshole kids do, or making fun of stupid stuff kids make fun of. I know I can't be there to fight his battles but I think a lot about what he will face and how he will have to rise above it. He is smart so I know he can, but I wish people (young and old) weren't such assholes.

I grew up in a house with all boys, oldest of three, and I work with a football team currently so around college aged guys all day. I have 2 daughters 8 and soon to be 6. I am very afraid of the future as they get older, I deal with so much testosterone on a daily basis, makes it tough to tone down at home when the crying and drama breaks out.

Not that college males don't have any drama, LOL.

We've spoken with the teacher and he's going to put up a sign in the class. My daughter and the teacher are pretty sure which students took the pen, trouble is the teacher is known as a "softy" so I don't think his voice carries much weight or fear of authority. We're not looking to punish the kids, we just want the pen back.

The other issue is the class meets every M/W/F. The pen was taken on Wednesday and today will be the next time to confront the students, and it's the last class of the day, right before Thanksgiving break. I'm dreading my daughter coming home this afternoon and having to see her realize the pen might be gone for good.

You can sure as hell add our data points to back that theory....

As much as I joke around about it, I love having a daughter. I feel like I might be one of those dad's that's too hard on a son, like my dad was, but my little girl, it's just all love and laughs (until the teen years, of course...)

That, and I'm really not worried about raising a girl. I feel like by the time she is 20, women will really be dominating out there in the world and it will be the boys you have to worry about. I feel like the way we raise kids right now is more geared towards helping girls, and that a lot of young men will really be struggling in 15-20 years.

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Long Chile was a silly place.