~ This is my Daughter ~

Emily Katherine, named for her Grandpa Emile on her Mom's side, and with my Mother's middle name. Now keep in mind that I am a Man's - Man, and I have an image to uphold, I don't truck with any of that touchy-feely crap.
This kid is my life, since the day she was born she's been my best friend. Her Mom and I split up when she was almost two, the night before they left I sat on the floor of her room and cried worse than she ever did. I missed her Mom but it was nothing compared to the loss of her. This kid taught me what love was and has kept showing me everyday for 15 years. She has a heart as big as all outdoors. She has been my friend, my companion, my teacher, and my hero. I was fortunate enough to be on pretty good terms with her Mom, so visiting was never a problem, and when she was in the third grade I started getting her every weekend. It didn't leave much time for personal socialization but it never mattered, if she couldn't go along, I just didn't go. I'd rather be with her anyway. She's always been real good company. Like I said she's 15 now and is a God's Send to me. When school was over last year she moved in with me full time to help me out, you may already know that I don't get around very good, bad legs and all. She left her Mom and her sister which she loves very much. She left her friends and her school. I don't think she even knows the meaning of the word "selfish." She helps me with everything I do or she just does it herself. She does without a lot and she doesn't get to see her friends very often. She sure lives to make me uncomfortable though, she talks about boys and girly stuff all the time just to get my goat. We laugh hard everyday. All of my friends love her and she is welcome everywhere I go. And she loves her family also, it doesn't matter who you are or if she's ever even met you or not, if you're family then you are loved (I have no idea where she got that) She has a note I wrote her one time, telling how much I loved her and what she meant to me, she keeps it hid, says it's "proof" in case I ever try and tell her any different. One time when she was about 7 years old, I was broke when I had her, I had only $22 to last the week until payday and I explained to her we had to take it easy that week. After I dropped her back off, I looked in my bill-fold for some reason and I had $24 instead of $22, and 2 of the dollar bills were crumpled up, you know, like what a kid would have. She has always done stuff like that, and doesn't care if anyone knows or not. She's an awful good kid. If there was more like her growing up into adults this world would be in pretty good hands. But don't think she got any of her traits from me, I don't even really like people, or kids for that matter. I wouldn't even be writing this but she's making me. I'll probably delete it the first chance I get. She'd just try and use it against me anyway. Good day.