Why I'll Always Be Daddy's Little Girl, No Matter Age Or Distance

If you looked at my relationship with my dad on paper, you wouldn't think we were so close.

The fact that I'm a Daddy's girl goes against all logic.

My parents are divorced. My dad and I live on opposite sides of the country. He’s Type A, while I’m a proud Type B.

And this summer is the first time we've seen each other in two years.

Yet, if we go just a few days without talking, it's a rare and a sad occasion. A relationship between a father and a daughter is delicate, but it’s one of the strongest bonds that exist.

It is ever-changing, but it remains constant from birth until death.

You can never get rid of your dad. You can have falling-outs, you can stop speaking, and you can even turn your back on each other for good, but you can never truly cut the tie connecting the two of you.

Well, at least in my case.

Without a doubt, I know I wouldn’t have accomplished what I’ve accomplished without my dad. Whether he was helping me with my college applications, giving me advice about applying for jobs or just picking up my favorite snack at the grocery store, my dad has always had my back.

I always think the role of a father in his daughter’s life is underappreciated. At this time in my life, when I am questioning everything from my future career to what color I should dye my hair, it’s nice to know I have one thing I don’t have to question: my relationship with my dad.

There’s a reason why he was the first one I called when I got my internship. My wins are his wins, and my losses are his losses. We’re a team. He’s the one who tells me when I’m doing a good job, and he’s the one who tells me when I’ve got it all wrong.

He doesn’t sugarcoat; he doesn’t embellish, and he doesn’t fluff my ego. He tells it like it is.

And I need that in my life, especially now, when I overthink everything and constantly second-guess myself.

If you're like me, then you've reached the point in your life where you find yourself straddling childhood and adulthood. You're trying to do the balancing act of being a woman while still feeling like a girl (and constantly failing, might I add).

You disagree with your dad on more issues than you can count, yet you always seek his approval.

You want his symbolic pat on the head to let you know you're doing just fine, or you need his hug that lets you know everything is going to be alright. Sometimes, you have to fight to keep that relationship alive.

Your 20s are a time of change, and that includes relationships with your parents. You try to make your parents proud, but you need to stay true to yourself. I've learned about the growing pains of parental relationships the hard way.

Whenever my dad tells me I don’t need makeup to look beautiful, or I’m the best daughter in the world, I might roll my eyes, but I’m smiling on the inside.

And, while I may surprise my dad with my feminist beliefs, shock him with my choice of clothes or sober him with my growing maturity, I know he'll always see me as his little girl.

Though I hate to admit it, as a daughter striving to be seen as a woman, that is the safest feeling in the world.