to chelsea, my daughter and friend

i don't write poems, but apparently my dad does. i requested a song, and i got a poem that i'm just tickled with. i am a person who craves compliments and affections, so much so that sometimes i will blatantly ask for or fish for them. ("do you like my jacket?! it's new!") i'm not sure if everyone wants that or if i am overly selfish and insecure. i'm caught in a mini-crisis trying to figure this (among many many other things) out. do i need to quit being so needy, or insist on not settling for less than what i feel like i need? but this poem kindof has nothing to do with that mini-crisis - i was just being silly and wanted a song, and he wrote me this hilarious poem. halfway through he changed pens and it starts to sound like an obit or funeral reading. i think he lost his poetic train of thought, but i'm not picky ...

To Chelsea, my daughter and friend.

She always loved through thick and thin,

through the good and bad things I've done.

She was always there for me, sometimes the only one.

She was as pretty as a beautiful sunset

and had many friends you can bet.

Boys flocked around her by the score,

but she was very choosy because she knew there would always be more.

She was full of questions that I sometimes did not know how to answer.

She always was eager to go along fishing and hiking.

She never gave her mother or I a lot of grief, at least not that I knew about.

No matter how low or blue I was feeling she could always cheer me up.

She was very brave and went to Hawaii all by herself to do missionary work.

She had so many boyfriends she didn't hardly know what to do with them all.

She asked me and I didn't know what to tell her.

I told her to ask her mother.

Well Chelsea, I can't think of much more to say right now than I love you very much and I am proud to have you for a daughter.