Dear Dad,

I know you can't hear me, or see this. But sometimes when the world is a little too quiet, I swear I can still hear your voice. I can hear you whispering to me.

That's why I'm writing this letter. It might seem crazy, like a plea to someone who doesn't exist anymore,but right now all I want is five wishes, just five…

First, I wish I could see your smile again. Not a picture of it, not a memory of it, but the real thing. The crinkles around your eyes when you were truly happy, the way your whole face lit up when you were proud. There are so many new things I've experienced and achieved,so many silly stories I have to tell you and milestones I've crossed that I long to share with you, and see that smile in response.

Second, I wish I could hear your voice again. Not just the echo of it in my memory, but the sound itself – the warmth, the strength, the way it could soothe any worry. There are times when I just need to hear you say, "It's alright," "you're amazing," or "You've got this," the way you used to.

Third, I wish I could taste your meals again. You always made the tastiest sauces and that made me love sauces when I grew up. Your combos were the best. You always surprised me and mom with the meals you knew how to prepare. When I prepare all the sauces you taught me, I think of you. I've learnt how to make them and enjoy it as well, but I wish you were here to make it yourself.

Fourth, Dad, I wish you could see the person I'm becoming. You started my love for books and writing and now I can proudly say I'm an avid reader and a good writer. I know you always believed in me, but there's a part of me that craves your approval right now, your gruff but proud "Smart girl." I wish you were here to see me chase and fulfill my dreams, even the crazy ones you might have laughed at.

Finally, my last wish is the simplest and the hardest. I just wish you were here. Here to celebrate my victories, big or small. Here to buy me more books like you used to. Here to offer a shoulder to cry on when things get tough. Here to be my dad, the one and only.

This letter might be a fantasy, a way for me to cope with the ache in my heart. I may hope you'll see this somehow and grant my wishes. But even if you can't grant these wishes,writing them down feels like a way to hold onto you a little longer. I know you're still with me in some way. In the lessons you taught me, the values you instilled.

I miss you more than words can say, Dad.

Love always,

Your always-wishing-you-were-here daughter.