As kids we weren't keen on Dad because he was a mean alcoholic - He was always very open and honest about this. He shared his story to support and inspire others through the rest of his life - something I am so proud of him for. He stopped drinking in 2005 and my god did our family & relationship change forever... He became the BEST Dad. His priorities changed and we were his world. He did absolutely everything he could to make us happy and "make up for his past" as he'd say. He put us first, he was INCREDIBLY supportive. The older we got, the closer we got. He would sit there and listen to me rant, vent, ramble & all sorts. We spoke almost every single day for at least 30 minutes. He knew everything that was going on in my life. We were so close. He was an absolute inspiration to me. No-one will ever be able to fill the boots of our relationship, because it was unique and personal to us. Every time I needed him, he was there. He supported me through so much, even when I wasn't making the best decisions, he'd say something like "you're always there for your children, there to catch them after they fall, to help pick up the pieces" and wow, he was!!

He was always pleased when I had a good day, even small things like meeting a friend, he'd always look so happy for me that I had those nice moments in my day. He was so genuine, loving, heartfelt, caring & just awesome! Even when he was struggling with his mental health, he'd be there for me, if I was having a wobble. If I was too anxious to do basic things like go to a shop by myself, he'd pick me up and come with me. He'd always visited me at work, admittedly sometimes this could be annoying if he hadn't told me he was turning up, but he'd make the effort to come because sometimes as an adult I didn't have the time to see him every week. It will never be forgotten how much he did for me. And I will hold his relationship close to my heart until we meet again, on the other side. My Dad has a beautiful soul that touched many people. As that child who didn't feel comfortable with her Dad, I could never have imagined how much that view of him would change. I forgave him for relying on alcohol in my younger years, he never forgave himself though. He couldn't let go of how much he hurt us early on. But honestly, he couldn't have done any more to reconcile the relationship. He will always be close to me. The BEST father anyone could ever want <3