A father’s role is extremely important in a girl’s life. As the oldest daughter of three, my dad has always pushed me to be the best version of myself. There have been many psychological articles written about how a father influences his daughter’s life. The most common being how a father’s love and support can affect a girl’s self-confidence.
While growing up I wasn’t the biggest fan of the forced bonding between my dad and I. In my early teens my dad would always try to spend one on one time with each of the three of us. In all honesty those conversations always felt somewhat forced to me. What was I supposed to talk about with my dad? At fourteen my dad and I took a trip to Chamonix, France and hiked the alps together. I was dreading this trip more than anything. I had no idea what we would talk about for a whole week, and on top of that, I hated hiking. However, looking back on that trip, it was one of the most challenging, but more rewarding experiences I have ever had. If it weren’t for my dad, I would never have put myself out there to go on such an adventurous trip. Being able to struggle through the long four hour hikes only made my father and I closer.
It was after that trip where I first started to enjoy my one on one time with my dad. Whether it was a coffee or a drive to do errands, every individual moment was special. It was getting closer that made going away to college even more difficult. If you ask my dad his side of the story, he will tell you he never cried when he dropped me off to university during my freshman year. It’s okay dad, we all saw you. Obviously that was a difficult task for a father, but putting me out into the real world and giving me an amazing university experience is one of many things my dad has done for me.
When I left for university two years ago, my dad wrote me a letter encouraging me to use this time to form relationships with new friends, teachers, and even take time to join in with as many activities as possible. While everyone is thankful for my dad I am especially thankful for two specific memories: our trip to Chamonix and being dropped off to college my freshman year.
If I could thank my dad for one important lesson it would be for his constant encouragement and reminders that I can always further succeed and better myself. No matter what grade I get or how involved I am in school, my father has always shown me that more can be done. So dad, thanks for being a role model, an inspiration, and for constantly making me feel worth more than I will ever believe.
