I cherish all of these moments
Father Daughter dance
It's every little girl's dream to go to the dance with her dad in her pretty pink dress and daddy matching pink tie. Such an exciting time to go out and have dinner with him before your big night together but I'm not really sure what that excitement feels like. I have missed out on countless Father Daughter dances because I've never had a father to take me. All of my friends got to have these sweet memories with their dads but we never got the chance.
Meeting boyfriends
Every girl has that moment of panic when her new boyfriend gets to meet her parents, especially her dad. In the movies and such the dads always try to scare the boyfriend into treating their little girls like princesses. Maybe this is why I haven't been lucky in love. Who knows..
Car problems
Flat tire? Oil change? Check engine light? Don't worry, dads got it… oh wait. I was lucky enough to have an extremely amazing uncle who was able to teach me about my car and how to check fluids. He has saved me many trips to the mechanic. Thank you Uncle David, I appreciate you more than you know.
Go fishing
As much as most girls dread it, they don't realize how lucky they are to go out on the boat and fish with their dad. The first time I went fishing was the day before my 18th birthday. I was spending a few days up with my older cousins and they were going fishing and I asked to tag along, they were more than happy to have me come with. They taught me everything I needed to know to catch a fish, but the fish weren't biting for me. Regardless, I was just happy to happy they wanted to teach me how to fish and have that moment with me.
Tell childhood stories
Dads always have the wildest stories. My best friend is always telling me stories about his dad and the stuff he did when he was young. His dad uses those stories to set and example on what not to do and how to get around issues. I don't have any knowledge of childhood stories from my dad such as him having of prior knowledge of fighting childhood racism while I have to learn how to fight it on my own.
Build forts
Who doesn't love building pillow forts with dad until mom gets home and tells you to clean it up? No really, who doesn't love it? Like is it fun or? The only fort I built was with my sister and it was with a fitted sheet and a fan but hey, whatever gets the job done right?
Give fatherly advice
Some of the best fatherly advice I've heard in movies is to treat others how you want to be treated, love with your whole heart, and never pull someone's finger when they tell you to. Whenever I've needed some fatherly advice, I turn to the father figures I do have such as the fathers of my friends, teachers and uncles. They've taught me so many life lessons and given me a crazy amount of love and knowledge and I'm grateful for them not only on Father's Day but every day.
I will be forever grateful to all the men who have developed a father figure in my life. Thank you for letting me call some of you Dad and loving me like one of your own. Thank you to all of my Uncles and Older cousins for showing me how to do important things and how to protect myself. I love all of you more than you know!
