Tuttle 1 Dear dad, If only, I was writing to you to tell you how great of a man you are.

If only, I was thanking you for showing me how a man should treat a woman. If only, I was writing to you to tell you Dad, I hope my husband is this way with our kids. If only. Yet, it is only the mere opposite. Although I am not writing to you, to praise you about all the things you did right, but to thank you for what all you did wrong, because it only made me a stronger woman. I would like to think you still know what my favorite color is or if I even have a boyfriend or what kind of music I listen to. ut you don!t. "he list could go on for days about the things you don!t know about me now. It has been # years since you and mom have separated. You would think that by now you would have grown up, seen your faults and moved on and done right. Yet, you sit around and not pick up your phone when we, we as in the two other children you have, my brothers, in case you forgot, call. $e don!t even get calls on holidays. I was surprised when you te%t me on my birthday. Although, I think I got a more sentimental &appy irthday from my cat, than I did you. 'retty sad, huh( A phone call goes a long way., but you wouldn!t know that. It!s like you are dead to the world. I guess you are at this point. I think the statistics classify you as a deadbeat dad, and boy do you live up to that name. You do a great )ob at it. If they had a draft for deadbeat dads, you would be top prospect, first round draft pick. I use to think you and mom were perfect. "he perfect little family, we even had the white picket fence. It!s cra*y to think you could throw it all away for a night or two of lust. +ome to think of it dad, do you even know what love is( I will answer for you...no you don!t. ,ne day, I will know what it is, but it will be the complete and utter opposite of the way you treated our mom. -ost people say that all daughters look for or end up being with a man who is almost a replica of their father. I pray that is not the case with me. You have definitely showed me all the

Tuttle 2 things on the D, .," list, with my choice of men. I guess I can only thank you for that, way to set an e%ample. I don!t think I!m as upset as I am mad at how you have treated us. You have two sons, one of them a literal spitting image of you, and how many basketball games did you attend( football games( practices( I think maybe two in the past # years. I can count on one hand the number of school events, dance recitals, basketball games, football games, practices, and any other function a dad should be at, on one hand. It!s sad to say. "he boys would do anything to have you back in their life, but you wouldn!t know that because you are too wrapped up in some other world. I think you act more like I child than they do. "hey both had to grow up too fast. "hey lost their innocence, because they practically had to. $ithout a father figure, how do you e%pect them to know what it takes to be a man( I guess they know all the things you did, not to do. Do you know what they say about kids who grow up without a father( Doctors say they grow up to have behavioral problems, become active in crime, perform poorly in school, and all these other troubling stereotypes. I would like you to know that your kids, all / of us, fall under 0 of those statistics. 1age is in accelerated classes and runs track and plays football, all his teachers adore him. "ristyn is in A2 classes, and plays basketball and football. As for me, I am in college, working two )obs. 3ound of applause for you dad, the donation of your sperm created some pretty awesome children, whose lives you take no part in. It!s cra*y to think you would )ust throw it all away. Despite the differences between you and mom, as a father you should be there for your kids. "hat!s what they are for. &ave you ever watched the episode of 4resh 'rince of el5Air, where his dad comes in his life for a week and then ups and leaves again( 6et me help you out in remembering. I learned how to dance with out you, the boys learned to shoot a basketball and throw a football, without

Tuttle 3 you. I learned how to drive without you. $e had si% great birthday!s without you. You didn!t even send us a card. I!m going to get through college without you. I!m going to get a great )ob without you. I!m going to marry me a wonderful man, and have beautiful children, and my husband will be a better father than you ever will. Your sons will be a better father than you ever will. "here is not anything you could teach us about how to love our kids, when we have them. I!m not telling you to come back, because you would have a lot of time to make up for. I!m )ust letting you know... $e can do it without you. $e aren!t some statistic. &ave a good one dad. Yours truly, Deseree