I’m a Full House girl. Always have been, always will be. And that’s how I know Bob Saget. I cried as I began processing his death. A 65-year-old man who has been loved and praised as an actor, comedian, father, husband, and human. I wish he was still here.

I learned a lot about Bob Saget in 2021. No, sadly, I did not speak with him personally. Instead, I researched every angle of his life and wrote a piece for my freelance work titled “Inside Bob Saget’s Life Today.” It was a fulfilling story to write, celebrating his achievements, walking through his fascinating career, timed with his return to live comedy performances all over the country. 

Bob Saget was such a good person. He loved his family and friends deeply, and in his sister’s memory, he dedicated his time and resources to the Schleroderma Research Foundation. In 2021 alone, his annual “Hot Comedy, Cool Cuisine” event with the foundation raised $700,000 toward research on the disease — I hear that millions of dollars came of these events over the years. I look at Bob Saget as a man who put his talent where his heart was, whether onscreen or onstage, or out in the world. I would have loved to have met him, but I don’t need to have met him to know how special he was, and how he cared for both loved ones and strangers. His podcast title says it all: “Bob Saget’s Here For You.” 

By being Danny Tanner, Bob Saget was there for me before I could ever begin to understand his importance: Full House is a big chunk of my foundation. It’s one of the first shows I remember watching with my family. I was born in 1994, a year before it ended its run. Along with Nick at Nite and other viewings of reruns, the series lived on at my house through our very first TV DVD boxed set in the 2000s. We accumulated all eight seasons over the course of a few years, and I received a complete series boxed set of my own for Christmas just last month. Visiting the real Full House house in San Francisco last summer was one of the greatest joys of my life. My past and present selves collided as I took in the city that my beloved Tanners called home.

Bob Saget was never far away, the entire time I was growing up. No, I wasn’t watching his stand-up comedy routine, and I was more of a casual AFV viewer. But I knew Full House like the back of my hand. I saw a dad that missed his wife and loved his daughters. He became an iconic “clean freak” with a penchant for good, old-fashioned family fun. He could make me laugh, comfort me, and teach me a lesson in 22 minutes. Yes, I believe it was good writing. But I also believe Bob Saget made that role, and he is the reason that the world has such a memorable, beloved TV dad. I keep thinking of Danny, Jesse, and Joey cleaning up the house in Season 1 to the tune of “I Feel Good.” Singing Michelle to sleep, particularly with the “Teddy Bear” song. I see them rushing to crash DJ’s late-night date with a rocker dude in a van in Season 5. Danny as Bachelor of the Month. Danny putting Michelle’s flower hat on her head. Danny being the sweet uncle that he was with Nicky and Alex. Comforting Stephanie when her date stood her up. Scene after scene of a single dad who just wanted everyone to live their best, happiest, healthiest life, even though life is tough sometimes. What a gift for the cast to have reunited with Bob Saget in recent years for Fuller House. What a loss as they say goodbye to their trusted friend and colleague. 

I’ve already sent up my thanks to Bob Saget for the love and laughter he gave the world. I’d also like to thank him for fostering stability in the homes of those who tuned in. Being a child is such a complicated, fragile thing, and I was fortunate to be born into a loving home. Even so, growing up is frightening. They say kids are resilient, but one can be resilient and still be anxious…and frankly, it helps to have a steady diet of warm family sitcoms to accompany your troubles and your good times alike. I’m now an anxious adult, comforted by memories of a sweater-wearing talk show host in the Bay Area. Watching Full House isn’t the same anymore, and yet, it feels just as necessary, just as much a part of my heart. I’d imagine Bob is sending us all virtual dad hugs right now. And as we rewatch his incredible work, we might find solace in the jokes, too. “It is so healthy to laugh. And I’m out there doing it, and I know it’s healing for people,” he told “CBS Mornings” in 2021. The fact that he wanted to make people laugh, and that he knew of laughter’s healing power, is what I’ll carry into my life today.