Dear Dad,
It’s your oldest daughter, and I have something important to share with you. I often think about expressing this sentiment, but I struggle to find the right words. So, here it is: thank you.
Thank you for always knowing where I was. That night at the lake seemed like any other, just me and a boy I had known forever—a boy you knew too. We went to Junior Prom together, after all. I knew the drill; I asked for your permission before we left, and he understood the importance of being back in an hour.
You and Mom were the quintessential “cool” parents, always welcoming, with an open-door policy. You knew my friends, and they knew you. But what I didn’t realize at the time was how your involvement would protect me in ways I couldn’t foresee. Not just my life, but the very essence of who I am.
Something terrible happened that night, Dad. My ‘friend’ didn’t bother to ask for consent before trying to kiss me, and when I said to stop, he didn’t listen. He continued even when I pushed him away, even when I hit him. “If you scream, no one will hear you,” he sneered, and I was frozen in fear.
As a young woman, I had mentally rehearsed how I would respond if faced with such a situation. I believed in my strength and my ability to assert myself. But nothing could prepare me for the sheer terror of that moment, especially from someone I never expected it from.
Then I remembered—you made me bring my phone that night. It was a precaution in case we lost track of time. In the midst of the horror, I managed to pull it from my pocket, but he quickly snatched it away. I felt the adrenaline coursing through me, but it didn’t grant me superhuman abilities—only fear.
And then, my phone rang. It was you. It had been an hour, and you were calling to check on me. He realized he had to let me answer, knowing you would come looking if I didn’t. When I picked up, your voice broke through my panic. You told me to come home. But what I truly heard was, “I love you, I care for you, I am here to protect you.” That was enough. He let me go because you were aware of where I was.
He left me with vile threats, claiming he would return to finish what he started, and that if I ever told anyone, he would spread terrible rumors about me. But I did tell—I told Mom. True to form, she drove straight to his house and confronted his mother, then went to his girlfriend’s house to inform her mother. He retaliated by spreading lies at school, and as a football player, he had a lot of influence. That senior year was one of the hardest periods of my life, but he only took my friends and happiness temporarily. What he didn’t take was my innocence; it remained intact because you knew where I was.
I can’t fully articulate the depth of my gratitude for what you did that night, but I hope this letter sheds some light on how much I respect and appreciate you as a parent.
Thank you, Dad, for always knowing where I was.