To my dad,

Hi Dad. I don't usually write letters to you or Mum cause it's embarrassing. I'm already a little embarrassed about writing to my birth family, to tell you the truth. I mean, no one writes letters these days. We use texts and emails and social media posts.

But one thing I've found is that when you write a letter, an actual letter, your real feelings just pour into it. Unlike something on social media, it's only the recipient who reads your letter, so it's more personal, more special.

That's why I'm writing to you, on Father's Day, cause this is the one thing I know I can do for you.

When I relive childhood memories, the almost two decades worth of them, I realize just how much you've been there for me. You're the one who caught spiders that crawled into my room. You're the person who caught the mouse who invaded our kitchen.

But aside from being unafraid of the tiny uninvited guests in the house, you've taught me what it means to be unafraid of doing things for myself.

ヽ(´▽`)/

When I see you I think to myself, "My dad can do things for himself. I want to be like that, too." You've helped me realize that I want to be independent when I grow up, someone who can advocate for myself, who can support myself, and most importantly, someone who won't be afraid to catch the spiders in my room.

It sounds cliché, but Dad, you've always been there for me when I needed you, and I know you'll continue to do so in the future.

I don't say it out loud cause it's embarrassing, but I love you. I love the parent you are, and I love that you're not afraid to do anything for Su and me. I love that you're a parent who will do anything for your children.

And I know that me writing these letters to my birth family might be a little weird for you and Mum, but I'm thankful that you've been with me the whole way. You've never once discouraged me from seeking the truth about who I am, and words can't express how much that means to me.

So yes, I've written to my birth father, but when people ask me who my dad is, you're the one I'll name, cause you're my one and only Dad, and that's a fact. (Anyone who says otherwise, past or present, can fight me)

ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ

I also want you to know that even though I've been wondering and searching after my birth family, knowing who my birth father is isn't going to make me love you or need you any less. 

He's not a replacement for you, nor you a replacement for him. This whole thinking about having two families thing is new to me, so I don't know what the future holds, but I know for sure that Lillian Xiao Li Monroe is your daughter, and that fact won't ever change.

Now let me go and stuff my head in a pillow in embarrassment for writing you this letter. 

(>_<)

Sincerely,

Lillian