Dear Austin,

I’m so proud to be your father.

The best thing a father can do for his son is be present in their life. My relationship with my own father hasn’t always been the best since while growing up he wasn’t always there. Even as a grown man, I find myself unintentionally resenting my father for the times he said he’d show up and didn’t, and all the moments I just wanted my dad to be around. The day that I found out that I’d be a father, I made a vow to myself that I’d never put you in a position to feel that way about me. I understand that its my role to shape how you view what a father is.

One of the best and most rewarding things about being a father is how much of myself that I see in you. I realized early on that being apart of your life is a huge factor in the type of man that you’ll someday become. There is no better feeling than when I watch you and I see some of the things that I’ve taught you stick with you, and I know that you’re always listening and watching. As a father, I’m so blessed to have an influence on your upbringing. Its an immense amount of both pressure and joy knowing that I have a lot to do with the man that you will become one day.

I wouldn’t trade the time we spend together for anything in the world. I’m a Texas boy, so I love taking you fishing as a way to for us to bond as father and son. Even though you’re young right now and you don’t have the attention span for it just yet, I love that you enjoy it as much as I do. I cherish even the simple moments we have together, like how every morning we have our breakfast routine; you eat your oatmeal while I eat my cereal. That may sound like such a small thing to you but those are the types of memories that I can’t recall with my own dad. Its what we do as father and son, and I don’t take any of our moments for granted.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned since becoming a father has been patience. I try my best to make the most of every moment with you and not to rush things. It’s so important for me to instill every value in you that I can while I still have your undivided attention. Although I know Aus Boogie loves basketball just as much as I do, I want you to create your own destiny. You don’t have to follow in my footsteps, just make sure wherever your footsteps take you that it’s honorable. What ever it is that you choose to do, do it with your heart or don’t do it at all. I want you to be your own person and pave your own way. I want you to practice being the best man that you can be early in life because it’s not easy.

No matter what, I want you to be able to say that you’re proud to call me your father but more importantly I always want you to continue to make me as proud as you have thus far. Son, sometimes my job won’t allow me to be at all of your big moments in life but I hope you know that daddy is working hard to keep making you proud. I work hard to provide for our family but I also work hard to keep showing you what dedication and sacrifice is. The most rewarding things in life take require both of those things.

The greatest gift I have ever received was when God chose me to be your dad. We don’t need holidays, we have every day of the year to be father and son. I love you.

Your Father,
Daddy (Quincy Acy)