Out in the world there is an exclusive group of girls, unlike any other: the girls raised by single dads. I happen to be one of those girls. Pity is strong for girls like me, but we don’t need it. We're actually the lucky ones. We are unique, we are strong, and we have the most amazing support team, our dads.
The way I see it, my dad chose to be a single dad. He could have dated, he could have been remarried, but he didn’t, because he wanted the best for me. He chose a different kind of love, one between a dad, a daughter, and God, and that kind of love is like no other.
My dad is a crazy, funny, intelligent man. He is an incredible man of God. He cares for me like no other. He taught me about cars, how to tie my shoe, how to save money, and how to be happy. He is my best friend. My dad is my support team. There is no day where I have been down where he hasn't picked me up.
Growing up was a lot different than for most girls I knew. My dad and I were a lot closer than they were with their dads, Saturdays were reserved for sports instead of shopping, and I found my best friend at home instead of in class. It was a lot different when we shared stories of our home lives, but while my friends wished for different parents or a different life, I was always silently wishing nothing would ever change.
My dad fixed my lunch, took me to school, and hung out with my friends and me. We have a pair of matching tennis shoes (we're dorky. I know.), we talk about boys, we watch NASCAR together, and we go to football games. He's my best friend, and I look up to him on the choices he's made because without those choices there is no way I'd be half as successful as I am.
There has never been a day where there was something missing in our family. God has provided everything my dad could not. Prayer was what brought us together in times of need and prosperity. I never thought my life was worth pitying, only praising.
He raised me, he supports me, he loves me. One day he'll walk me down the aisle, give me away, and dance at my wedding, but until that day, he will be the most important man in my life.
There's a lot of things you can pity someone for, the real tragedies like the loss of a family member, failing a class, or totaling a car, but when you see the girl with a single dad, don't pity her. She is strong, and he is stronger. He cares about his little girl, and she will only get the best because her daddy said so. They aren't sad, poor, or missing out; they have each other. That's what really matters.
