“And a girl needs her father"...at least that’s what I thought.

I was only small when you decided to leave, so small that I couldn’t have given you enough of a reason to make the choice that you didn’t want me anymore, so why did you?

I will never forgive you for turning into the person that I have grown to hate. Your absence grew and so did the hole in my heart where you once lived. I waited...and I waited. You never showed, and you never called; don’t think for one second that you tried because you didn’t and you know it. Blame it on someone else, or blame it on the circumstances but the truth is...you didn’t try.

After so long of trying to figure it out, I realized that I’m not the problem, it’s you. Your leaving has caused me to disconnect my heart from my feelings, and I’m extra cautious when I decide that I want to let someone inside of my world. Trusting is almost impossible, because you gave me the reason not to. If I couldn’t trust the man who created me, what would make me think I could trust any other one? I have realized that not everyone will leave me the way you left, but I am still careful.

Don’t think that you never taught me anything though, because you did. Instead of teaching me how to love, you taught me how to only give my emotions away to the people who deserve them and to always protect my heart. You taught me that not everyone is going to come into your life and stay, and that it’s alright. You taught me that the world isn’t picture perfect but you still have to make the best out of it. These aren't the life lessons you should teach your daughter by leaving, but that’s okay.

Lastly, I want to thank you for leaving. You have made me stronger in more ways than you know. I’ve learned that there’s not room for weakness in a tough world, and that you don’t need a man to get things done. I’m now graduated and in college, and that’s just one of the many things that you missed in your absence. I have forgiven you, but don’t let that go to your head because I haven’t forgotten. I will never forget what it’s like to look around at my friends who have dads to make memories with, who go out and have dad-daughter days, and who have fathers to scare the boys before they went out on their first date. You didn’t protect me from the hurtful world that we live in, but you exposed me to it. It’s hard to realize that you didn’t miss me while you were out there looking for whatever it is you didn’t have here, with us, but I can’t think like that anymore. I’ve made it this far and I can make it the rest of the way. I hope your new life was worth the sacrifice.

From The Daughter Who Knows She's Good Enough