A dad is supposed to be someone you rely on to take care of you and to love you unconditionally. Not someone who gives up on you after one mistake. Not someone who tries to control who you love. Not someone who will blame you for their mistakes. And definitely not someone who breaks your heart.

I used to adore my dad, he was my best friend. We would sing along to "Little Bitty" by Alan Jackson in his truck, share the big seat on the couch, and wrestle amber-jack together on the bough of our boat. I have so many memories I'm trying so desperately to hold onto, but the farther away I feel from my dad, the more the memories start to fade.

I was 17 and I still don't know what it was that tore my dad and I apart. We just couldn't get along anymore. Then I got into a relationship with my current boyfriend and that's when everything seemed to fall apart. I understand dads are supposed to be protective and suspicious of their daughters' boyfriends but my dad had nothing but hatred for this boy. He never did anything wrong, never provoked my dad or challenged him in any way. He just adored his daughter and treated her like a princess. My dad never even gave him a chance.

After that it was like I couldn't even talk to my dad without arguing with him. It didn't help that there were other issues going on with him and my mom. A storm was brewing within my family and it wasn't looking good. The worst part came when he kicked me out of my house, leading me to believe I was the cause of my parents pending divorce.

I was heartbroken. The man I had adored for so long had abandoned me. The man I trusted more than anyone had broken me. I guess you could say I had the so-called "daddy-issues" that you hear about so often. But then I decided that I wasn't going to let this define me.

I picked myself up, brushed myself off, and put the pieces back together. Sure, I'm still sad that my dad and I are no longer close, but I've learned to adore myself, trust myself, and believe in myself. Because of this, I have to believe that I am made stronger.

Since then, I have forgiven my dad for being the cause of my first true heartbreak and in this I found things to thank him for:

-So thanks dad, for teaching me to love myself

-Thanks for helping me to realize that I can make my own decisions in boyfriends and boy, did I make a great one

-Thanks for showing me that those closest to you can hurt you the most

-Thanks for strengthening my relationship with my mom, who was there to comfort me when you let me down

-Thanks for teaching me forgiveness

-Thanks for making me stronger

There is a lesson here: some of the people we care the deepest for can make the deepest cuts. But you can stitch yourself back up and when you do, you will learn to love yourself. So many people these days have family issues, and I hope that by sharing mine I can assure someone else that they can get through it and that it doesn't have to define them.

Don't get me wrong- I love my dad and I know he loves me too, but right now I can't imagine a day when we'll be as close as we used to be. Just like any other heartbreak, I have overcome this and I am okay.