I was born the only child to two alcoholics. After my mother became pregnant with me, she quit drinking. However, my father did not. It may seem unfortunate to have an alcoholic as a father, but over the years I have realized that he plays a very significant part in my life. Typically, a dad should serve as a role model to his child. My father has inspired me to become the complete opposite of him. He is here to make me a better and stronger person. The August rain falling outside of my window reflected my mood precisely, gloomy like the gray sky painted with dark clouds, yet hopeful like the plants that longed for a taste of water. The morning of my fifteenth birthday had finally arrived. This was the day I had anticipated my whole life, my entrance to womanhood, but I knew it was not going to turn out as perfectly as I had hoped. My dad had to ruin one of the most special days of my life with his absence. "It's whatever," I thought and remained optimistic. My mother and I sat in my room and awaited my father's arrival. My father's disappearance was nothing new though, simply a reoccurring nightmare. It was now the evening of my fifteenth birthday and my father was still nowhere in sight. We did not know where he was or who he was with, all we knew was that he was lost and desperately needed to be found. My mother and I spent the entire evening of my birthday searching for my father. After hours of searching, my mother and I finally found him miles away from our home. He was asleep in his car parked outside of a convenience store. Although it was no shock to see my father in such a state, my heart quickly sank like a ship hitting an iceberg. The vehicle was swarming with beer cans and the aroma of alcohol penetrated everything within a twenty-foot diameter. His incoherent blabber sounded like that of a Chinese game show host—impossible to understand. Seeing my dad throw away his life pains my heart, but what hurts me the most is that he has never once apologized for his careless behavior. I thought that being his one and only little girl could change him into a better person, but sadly I did not make much of an impact on his life. On the other hand, my father has completely changed my life. He has shaped the characteristics of his only child without even realizing it. My dad has taught me that just because he reflects a negative influence upon my life does not mean that I cannot succeed. I have turned his negative choices into lifelong advice. These experiences made me realize that I do not need to walk in his path of destruction or follow in his footsteps—I can create my own. Watching my father drink his life away has truly inspired me to never give up on my dreams and to never lose hope. As the famous American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." Living with my father, I am able to see my stars shine brighter each and everyday. Even though my father has not always been dependable, his actions continue to have an everlasting impact on my life. I now know that I can overcome all of life's obstacles thanks to my father who was put on this earth to make me the best, strongest, and most successful person I can possibly be.