I am my father’s oldest daughter, and for as long back as I can remember I have always been a “Daddy’s Girl”. I was so fortunate to be born into a great family, and while some may think I am biased I always knew I had the Best Dad in the World! Even in a family of six kids, our father always made sure we all felt special, and I am sure if you asked all my brothers and sisters they would all assure you that they are his favorite. (And while I respect their right to be wrong, I think we all know I have always been his favorite!)
Some of my fondest memories of growing up are not just all the fun trips my dad would take us on, but so many of the simple things. We would all often wrestle together & try to team up on dad to win, although now that I am older and wiser I am beginning to think that just perhaps he may have let us win a time or two. Swimming together as a family, or just playing stupid games together in the back yard.
One of my favorite traditions my father brought us up with were our Daddy-Daughter Dates. My sisters and I would get to go on specially planned daddy-daughter-dates with him & I always felt so special on those dates. As a family we would go to church every Sunday and get a fathers blessing from Dad whenever we needed one. My dad always worked so hard to ensure our family was close and that me and my siblings could feel comfortable bringing any problems to him. Dad always loved us unconditionally, and he made sure we not only knew it, but felt it.
My dad was also a very beloved uncle to all my cousins, and I am sure if you took a poll, he would be declared “Favorite Uncle” in a landslide. He was the ‘Funcle!’ (fun uncle). My dad was full of life and love, he always taught us to help those in need and he lived it. Another fond memory I have is of a humanitarian trip we did as a family to Guatemala. We were able to bring water to a village and I was very humbled by that experience.
I was just 12 years old when my dad was taken from us and shockingly sentenced to 30 years in prison. I remember not even realizing what could happen while I sat in one of my dad’s court hearings prior to this horrific and unjust sentence. I think my parents wanted to protect us kids and perhaps they themselves thought something like that would never happen, but it did happen. When he was sentenced, I was heartbroken. I was a little too young at the time to realize the severity of the sentence, but now that I am older, I have come to understand it completely.
Since the loss of our Father to such an excessive 30 year prison sentence, I have had years full of struggles. As I look back, I realize that there were so many instances where had my dad been home with our Family, I am sure it would have saved me a great deal of heartache and changed my life drastically. Still I am thankful for the times we did have together as I hold those memories so tight, and look forward to the day he can again be a full part of me and my family’s life. HOW YOU CAN HELP
My dad works as hard as he can to continue to be a huge part of my life. He makes sure he talks to us as often as possible. He is the one I go to for almost everything as I know that my dad will give me the best advice possible. My dad is tender hearted, thoughtful, giving, patient, nonjudgmental, and loving. I know that my dad also consistently helps fellow inmates with their parenting as this is a struggle within the prison walls and also helps them with fitness since he avidly works out and takes good care of his health. He is always more than willing to give his time and help anyone who needs it.
I wish my dad was home. I wish he could’ve been at my graduation or my soccer games. I wish he could’ve been at my wedding to give me away or had the opportunity to be at the hospital when my three children were born. I wish I could just call him up whenever I needed him, I wish I could give him a hug whenever I wanted. I wish I didn’t have to travel so far and sit in such a horrid place just to get to see his face. It is hard growing up without a dad at home, Father’s Day is hard and Christmas is hard, everything is harder without you dad. It’s hard when my mom just doesn’t understand me, and I can’t call my dad for help, because he can only call me. HOW YOU CAN HELP
You would think it gets easier with time, but you are wrong. It is hard accomplishing things and moving on with my life and not being able to share those moments with your dad. It is hard when I fall and he’s the only one who could pick me back up, I reach out for his hand only to remember that he is still locked up hundreds of miles away. It was hard watching my mother try to pick up the pieces and take care of six children all by herself.
It is difficult think about everything we have missed out on as a family, and to know there is still so much more we will likely still have to miss out on. It hurts my heart that my children do not know their grandfather like I do. I do have hope that perhaps this injustice may be corrected and that perhaps mercy may be extended. I am hopeful that my father will not have to miss out on my other five siblings’ accomplishments, marriages, or the births of their children, etc. HOW YOU CAN HELP
I truly believe that if my father owes any debt to society, he has certainly paid that debt. The average sentence in the U.S. for convicted rapists is about 10 years, while the actual time served about 5-6 years, and the average time that a person convicted of Murder does in the United States before initial release is 15 years. My father was convicted of a first time offense for a nonviolent crime. He has been in prison for more than 12 years of a 30 year sentence for ‘deceptive marketing’ and I think any fair minded person would agree that this sentence is unfair, excessive and unjust.
If you believe that 30 years in Federal Prison for a first time, non-violent crime is unfair and unjust as I do, please consider taking some time out of your day to write a letter to the President and ask him to please lower my Father’s Prison Sentence. Your letter can be handwritten or typed and if you are welcome to write more than one letter if you feel it would help.
I pray for a miracle that he will be released soon. I pray for the day when I can hug him for as long as I want to, when I can call him and talk to him for as long as I want. I pray for the day when my father can be at special events and family dinners, and I pray for the day when my life will feel whole again.