As I sit down to talk to my dad, he begins one of his famous lectures. My dad always says to me, “You can do anything you set your mind to.” My dad is short, round, and has a shiny bald head. He is funny, nice, and happy, for the most part. My dad is the greatest person I know, and will do whatever is necessary to make his loved ones happy.

My dad has been through a lot in his long life. When he was young, his dad passed away from cancer. My dad tells me it was difficult for him, being the oldest, because he had to accept the role of being an adult much sooner than expected. His mother was hardly ever around because she had to work multiple jobs to keep the family going. My dad tells me he made some decisions that he now regrets, but that’s life. He explains to me, “In life you’ll make decisions you’ll regret, but you have to live with them, and accept your mistakes because you can’t undo what has already been done.”

I was mad at my dad for a while, but that was selfish of me. I don’t get to see my dad very often, sometimes I go days without seeing him. This is how it’s been my whole life, but what I didn’t understand is how much he was sacrificing to keep my mom and I happy. My dad didn’t go to college because his family didn’t have the money to send every kid to college. He leaves for work every morning at 2 a.m., and usually gets home around 6 p.m., and repeats it the next day. He’s been doing this for years. I now understand what my dad has been sacrificing for us. I respect it, I feel sorry for him, but most importantly he motivates me because not many people have the ability to work 16 hours everyday. I look at him a whole different way now, I look at him like has a hero now.

My dad is the greatest person I know, and will do whatever is necessary to make his loved ones happy. He has been through a lot, and in the end, he puts others before himself. My dad motivates me in the simplest ways, whether it’s something he does or something he says. This is why my dad is my hero.