I believe Mother’s Day is meant to celebrate the woman in your life who had the guts to become your parent, and in my case, that person isn’t a woman. He’s my dad.

My life has been filled with ups and downs, but there has always remained one constant positive: my dad, Michael Peña. Because my mom chose to be absent from my sister’s and my life, my dad stepped up to the plate and doubled his role as both a father and a mother.

He’s been by our side all throughout our 17 years of living, and he’s very supportive of whatever we set our hearts upon. He’ll gladly take time out of his day to help us when we need him, and he’ll always make us laugh while doing so.

He’s also very creative and decided to make his passion for graphic design into a career. He owns multiple marketing businesses, like HollaPena, as well as a shaved ice business, TokyoSno. He’s also amazing at video games and making people laugh, so in the future, he plans to further his career and become a comedian.

Ultimately, my dad’s main motivation in life is to see my sister and me happy, and for that, he’ll always mean the world to me. I am forever grateful for the sacrifices he’s made for us, and I hope that I can one day have the privilege of becoming as great a parent as he is for my sister and me.