I don’t think that either of us knew

How hard it’d be to drop me off at school

To drive away all in one day

Like I haven’t lived a room away for the past 18 years

Suddenly tears swelled in my eyes

In the lobby of Outback

As I hugged my daddy goodbye

And there were all the logistical considerations

Like who would get the snow off of my car

Or help me in the winter when the door gets jammed

Or plan my trips to the dealership for an oil change

What would I do without you to make pancakes the size of plates

And not being there for family debates over what we should watch on tv

Made me uneasy

As I realized I really didn’t want you to go

In the midst of all of the planning and excitement I didn’t know

That I was growing up

But there were also all of these other things I hadn’t thought about

Like showing you that you taught me enough to make it out in the real world

Proving that I’m a smart girl

And all of the trust you gave me wasn’t wasted

Making sure that I can make it happen for myself

And relying on you as a wealth of information

About all of the things I haven’t experienced yet

I think that this experience has brought us closer together

And allowed us to see all of our similarities with clarity

And appreciate who we are to one another

I’m happy that I’ve made you proud and I’ll try my best to never let you down

And I know you’ll do the same

Because that’s what daddies do

And after all that we’ve been through

I feel blessed to know that your only a drive home away

That any day

I can say

That I’m ready to go

And I know you’ll be there

Standing on the porch with open arms

And a happy heart

Because daddy’s baby is home