Daughter dedicates a touching letter to her father for his 50th birthday: although he suffers from Down Syndrome, he's never stopped showing her how much he loves and cars for her
The relationship between a father and her daughter is definitely a special one. Having a father figure is important in every little girl's life and should never be taken for granted. Out of all people, Anne Castillo knows just how important having a loving and caring father is. Although he suffers from Down Syndrome, he has never once made her doubt just how much he loves and cares about her. That's why, for his 50th anniversary, she write him a touching tribute and then published it on her Facebook page.
via Facebook / Richie Anne Castillo
Here's Anne's lovely tribute to her father:
“Dear, Dad,” she wrote. “Today marks a very special and very miraculous moment of your life. You turn 50 today and I am so blessed that you continue to live such a long and beautiful life. Doctors are still amazed by it! I know you won’t be able to read this because I don’t know if you have Facebook, but I want the whole world to know how proud I am that you are my dad. I want the whole world to know how beautiful you are inside and out. Dad, it took me so many years before I gathered enough courage to face everyone because not all may know the whole truth because it is quite confusing. Back in grade school, I would be picked on and bullied because they said you were different. As a kid I didn’t see you as different, I saw you as my dad. I didn’t understand why they were making fun of me and calling me abnormal. I understood this later on and it made me a coward."
"But you deserve more than the coward daughter that I am. You deserve love, understanding, patience and acceptance as any individual with Down Syndrome should. Here I am composing a birthday greeting to you because I’ve never done such a thing. You deserve so much more. Dad, you are the strongest and the bravest human being I know. For almost all your life, you have allowed doctors to insert needles in you, surgeries here and there, a lifetime doing dialysis and a long list of limitations. But you seldom complain. You are the strongest because after all those surgeries, procedures and nights at the hospital, you managed to say “Wa ko mahadlok mamatay kay ni salig ko sa Ginoo” (I’m not afraid because I trust in the Lord). You are the bravest because you have been through so much and you never, not even once been afraid. I cannot imagine putting myself in your shoes. ”
"I have seen you cry because your knee would hurt cause of the fluid. I can’t feel your pain but how I wish I could take your place so you wouldn’t have to feel any pain anymore. You lost your teeth, but that never bothered you or kept you from eating the food that you love. Dad, no amount of words can sum up to how sorry I am for being an absent daughter. I’m sorry for not bringing you to the beach more often or I don’t bring you your favorite dimsum food or I don’t visit you more often than I should. If there is one thing I regret, it is hiding you from my life because I’m still the same little kid who was afraid of getting bullied. Everyone adores you and you know that. You could always put a smile and a laugh on everyone’s faces."
Anne definitely wrote a touching tribute to her father, and we can't help but adore how much this father-daughter duo love and appreciate each other!
