Happy Valentine’s Day To Annabella

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we asked Patch readers to write a love letter to that special someone and let us deliver it. This is Fred Zappolo's poem to his daughter, Annabella:

To my daughter,

12 years ago you came into my life.
While life was great, you made everything right.

Before you, I don’t remember life at all.
When I met you, the hardest I did fall

In love with you. It was truly a love of a different kind.
I knew then, never will I leave you behind.

Every day I wake, I live life to make you proud.
Everyone knows about you, because when I speak of you, I’m loud.

How proud I am of who you are becoming.
How much you make me laugh, whether joking, dancing or strumming.

You light up the room wherever we do go.
You’re the realest person that I know.

And at 12 years old, you’re wise beyond your years.
Your love, compassion and sympathy helped dry my tears,

Tears you shouldn’t have seen, at a time I was weak,
You would sit there and say “I love you, Daddy,” and kiss my cheek.

Your intuition is something truly scary to me.
You put your own happiness aside, just for me.

And at 12 years old I’m sorry. No, it wasn’t fair.
But that time is behind us now, and I swear

To continue to make you proud, each and every day
And to be your strength, the way you were with “mae” (actually “me” but “mae” worked here, so go with it)

You took on the role of strength when I was down.
I quickly became known as “Annabella’s dad” around our small town.

And you never judged me, you loved me for being me.
And you were so right about that someone, she is fake as can be ;)

So proud I am, that you are part of me,
So proud to be the one you call Dad-dy.

You see Valentine’s Day, while yes, is about two hearts,
It is a hallmark day for many, so this year I will start

Start making it about a different love, the truest of kinds,
The love between a father and daughter, and the ties that bind.

So for my little girl, my “favorite girl” to be exact,
I love you so much sweetheart, to the moon and back (times infinity pi-squared — inside joke).

Love,
Daddy

See all Patch love letters here.