*My dad just retiered, and I had the pleasure of giving a little speech at his party... this is that speech

Dad,

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After all these years of hard work and dedication, you’re finally retired.

 

And while this is a celebration of everything you’ve accomplished in your career, I also want to take a moment to celebrate the dad you’ve been — because so much of who I am today comes from you.

 

Thank you for showing me that I can be gentle and still be a strong woman. That I can take care of myself, stand on my own two feet, and figure things out — but that asking for help is never something to be ashamed of. You’ve taught me that strength doesn’t always have to be loud. Sometimes it looks like patience, kindness, showing up, and quietly fixing whatever needs fixing.

 

I have so many memories of growing up that I’ll always carry with me — the car rides, the countless little adventures, the multiple building projects, and you taking me to get my driver’s license. I’m not sure if you realized it at the time, but those moments of just being together were some of the ones that mattered most.

 

And now for a few of my favourite things about you: While I may be the one who loves Disney princesses, I think it’s safe to say Dad has the Disney princess touch… specifically Snow White.

 

You’ve always had a special relationship with animals... You feed the chipmunks, you track the hummingbird migration, and you know the paths/times that the raccoons show up every night - and the skunks - and the possums.

 

Then there are the fish.

 

For years, you would bring the fish inside for the winter, then bring them back out again in the spring.

 

And now, instead of moving them in and out, you’ve progressed to counting them every day to see how many we have in the pond, and now let them simply battle out the winters outside.

 

And then there are F1 Sundays. Growing up, I was very familiar with a lot of the races, but didn’t really get into it…. Then I moved back 5 years ago, and it took over my life (Go Alonso).

 

Also, since moving back home, I learnt very quickly that when it’s F1 Sunday, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are Mom and I allowed to spoil who won till he has watched it.

 

You also introduced me to Star Wars, which is one of the many things I am incredibly grateful for.

 

Although Dad, I do have one complaint.

 

You are still the worst Millennium Falcon co-pilot - I have never crashed more than we did during Smugglers Run at Hollywood Studios back in February 2024.

 

But despite that, thank you for getting me into Star Wars. You didn’t know it at the time, but sharing that with me as a kid has helped shape the imagination I have today—the worlds I escape into, the stories that inspire me, and the things that spark my curiosity.

 

When I look back, so many of my favourite memories are tied to things you showed me — building things, watching races, rescuing fish, going on drives, feeding chipmunks, and yes, flying badly through space.

 

But more than anything, you showed me what it means to be dedicated.

 

You work hard. You show up. You take care of your family. You give your time and energy to the people and things that matter to you.

 

And I think that is one of the biggest things I’ve learned from you: that the things we love are worth paying attention to.

 

Whether it’s your family, your work, an F1 race, a pond full of fish, a migrating hummingbird, or a tiny chipmunk waiting for a snack — you notice. You care. And you put in the effort.

 

So as you enter this next chapter, I hope you know how proud I am of you.

 

Now you get to spend a little more time doing the things that make you happy — although I suspect retirement will mostly mean having more time for projects that were previously “waiting for the weekend.”

 

And maybe a little more time counting fish.

 

Dad, thank you for everything you’ve taught me, everything you’ve built with me, every adventure you’ve taken me on, and most importantly, for the person you’ve helped me become.

 

You’ve given me strength, curiosity, imagination, kindness, and so much more.

 

I love you very much.