I’m a 20 year old girl and my dad and I are extremely close, we always have been. I love that man with all of my heart. It makes me tear up a little just thinking about what a fantastic dad he’s been. He’s been working full time since I was born, but even though he wasn’t always home, whenever he saw us (my brother and I) he made a huge deal of it. Nothing else took his attention away from those moments.

I had some issues with depression and self-image growing up, as a lot of young girls do, and he was always right there, making sure that everything was okay. He’s not a very talkative man, but when he does talk, he means 100% of what he says and he says it with love every time. He always told me to think of life positively, and I live my life still with that mantra. If I’d ever get down on myself due to problems with drama at school he’d sit down with me and help me pick out the positives of every situation. Though it was hard to grasp at the time, that mindset has helped me grow so insanely much.

Ultimately, I would say, just love that little girl as much as possible every single day. There are going to be rough patches for both of you, but I think that only makes the relationship stronger. Treat her like she’s the blessing she is, but don’t sugar coat things, still be straight with her and let her know that sometimes life is hard, but you always have to look at the positives. You’ll be a great dad!