People always say that we date men exactly like our dads.

We seek out the same attributes that we love in our dads. I will admit that some of my boyfriends have been very similar to my father in some ways and very different in others. One thing I will say is that recently, my dad has set my standards very high.

I went through a period of time where I did not think that I could afford to have very high standards. I thought that maybe if I had too high of standards that I would be out of luck with finding a potential partner. My dad is the father of two girls and as he jokes that there is too much estrogen in the house, I think he secretly likes having daughters instead of sons.

Recently, I've been going through a period where I had to put up with a lot of, for lack of a better word, shit that someone who is 19 years old should not have to be going through in regards to relationships.

Of course, my mom has been great in this situation, but she is my ultimate hype-man, she's my mom, and she would go to war for those she cares about. It's been my dad who has been eye-opening to my worth and value. I thought I would share some quotes from or about my dad that may encourage anyone questioning their self-worth in relationships and has definitely raised my standards in any of my future relationships.

"You are too young for this shit."

"You can kiss any boy you want."

"Your dad dropped out of a fraternity for me when they were telling him who he could and couldn't date. He chose me. Find someone who will prioritize you like that."

"Don't let him drag you into the ditch with him."

My dad would truly do anything for his wife and daughter, which has shown me that not all boys are bad, you just have to find the right one. So thanks dad for showing me how to set high standards.