October 18, 2017, was the 10-year anniversary of my first date.

I went on my very first date when I was just seven years old.

My dad took me to The Fountain, a restaurant in downtown St. Louis close to where we lived. He bought be a bouquet of flowers and treated me to a chocolate milkshake. We dressed up; he wore a nice collared shirt, and I wore a new dress.

After dinner, we went to the car, and my dad drove us to the Hannah Montana Concert. We even had our own concert on the way there as we sang to all of Hannah’s songs.

When we got to the venue, my dad and I waited in line to get a $30 concert t-shirt that I thought was the coolest thing ever. The entire place was overflowing with girls, and my dad was way out of his element. I appreciated him being there just to spend the night with me.

The concert itself was a blur of songs, screaming and so much fun. Hannah Montana, my idol at the time, didn’t disappoint.

Now I appreciate this night even more than I did when it happened. I realize looking back that my dad taught me a true man should treat a girl with respect, care and love. He didn’t care for Hannah Montana. In fact, I’m pretty sure he despised her. He put his thoughts aside for one night to make me happy because he loved me.

Dad, I want to thank you for this night. Thanks to you, my very first date will always be a happy memory. It was a night full of laughter and bad singing, and I’m happy I got to share it with you. I’m grateful that you showed me how a true man should treat a girl because I realize now that I shouldn’t settle for anything less.

I loved being able to spend that night with you. To this day it’s still one of my favorite memories, and it always will be. I’m very lucky to have a dad as thoughtful and caring as you. Thank you for this memory and for being the very best dad you could be. I love you.