Throughout our lives we meet many people. We experience many different emotions. We love, we dislike, and we have happiness and sadness. We experience many different lessons and memories that will last our entire lives. Yet, those memories that we hold dear to our hearts forever don't come from the people we don't remember. They also don't come from the bad times. These memories and lessons are from the foundation of our lives, which will bring the good times, and will also teach of the way we should love. To me, this man is my father.
In my lifetime of an amazing eighteen years, I would say I've seen a lot. I've been through the ups and downs that life has thrown at me, and I've taken what I can from each new day that the morning brings. I've learned to follow my dreams, regardless of how other people see and understand you. I've learned to forget the negative because following my dreams will make everything positive. I've also learned that hard work is the key to success, and there is no one that can take away the blood, sweat, and tears that you pour into something you love, and when you reach that dream, no one can take it away from you. I could never understand any of these things without my father, John Peter Preto. My dad has always stayed by my side, through the good times, and the bad. He never looked down on me for doing wrong, and he never gave up on me for anything, either. My dad taught me everything I know, and most importantly, he gave me the greatest gift of my life; the game of baseball.
As he was a younger man, my father played baseball and softball with great passion and pride. He lived for the game, and he never let anyone take away his dedication and hard work. He never let someone else tell him he wasn't good enough, or that he couldn't do anything, because he knew he could, and that's all that ever mattered. My dad was one of the greatest athlete's I've ever seen, and following in his footsteps would my life fulfilling and happy. My father also started working at the age of 19, which is what he still does to this day; working for the same company he once started at many years ago. My dad had a family to support, and supporting us was his first priority. For over 40 years, my dad has been the nine to five guy, seven days a week, with the family that he built from the ground up. My dad spends his time with my family as much as he can. Through days off in the summer and ever Christmas day, he's always there beside us. My dad would never let a bad thing happen to a single person in my family. He's the eyes of my world, he watches over me and keeps me safe, and above all, he's never stopped loving me, of giving me the best I could ever have.
When I think of the word hero, the only name to come to my mind is my father. Not because it's manly to think of your dad, and not because it's respectful to do so either. I think of my dad because my life if near perfect. I have great friends, a loving family, a great education, all the things I could ask for, and a passion for baseball that some people could only dream for, and without my father, none of these things would be possible. To grow up to be as my father lives could be perfect. To know that I could take the gifts he has given me and pass them on to a son I dream to have would be a dream come true. My father has never given up on me, and has never let me down, even when I let him down. My father was always there to catch me when I fell, and was always there to pick the mess from the floor when I was too scared and ran away. My dad is my role model, my hero, and my best friend. My father has given me the life I live and the potential to make so much more of it. My father has given me love, kindness, respect, and most importantly, lessons of life than can never be taken away from me, even through the Good times and the bad, and the happiness and sorrow. My father is my hero, and no one will ever take that away from me.
