In 1995 my Dad went out hunting on an early December morning with all of his guy friends, you know doing manly things during their "man time". My Mom was pregnant with me and all of them were hoping that he would have a son. Some of the guys would bring their sons hunting with them and they wanted my Dad to be the next one.
Well the next time my Dad went hunting, he announced that he had a baby girl (me), and he couldn't have been more excited.
A few years later my Mom had my sister, in case you don't know how to count, that's a total of two daughters. When I was younger I was a total tomboy and I loved hanging out and doing things with my Dad.
Here are 5 things you learn when your Dad doesn't have a son.
1. How To Be Tough
Your Dad is always there for you, he is the super hero that catches you before you fall and figures out inventive ways to do anything for you. But those times that you do fall and cut your knee, he picks up right back up, brushes the dirt off and says, "Your'e going to be okay" and of course you believe him, Dads are always right. He is the master of pep talks, it could be before a big game or a big test. Either way, you walk away knowing that you can conquer the world and stop anyone who tries to get in your way.
2. How To Not Be A Prissy Girl
I love mud, and dirt and bugs. When I was younger my hands were covered in dirt and blisters from constantly playing outside in the woods. I loved hiking, fishing, camping just about anything outdoors because my Dad taught me how to love it, and that its okay to get dirty. But my Dad also let me know that it was okay to be a little girly when it came to snakes. Lets just say he always walks first in the woods. But hey that's what Dads are for.
3. How To Bait A Hook
Lets be honest, I could probably out fish a lot of grown men by the time I was 12. I was baiting hooks and catching fish at a young age and was never afraid to shove that worm on the hook. Heck, Id rip it apart with my fingers. I love fishing. I also grew to love the smell of fish on my hands after a long summer day. Because that my friend, is a sign of a successful fishing day. To this day my Dad cant take the whole family out fishing without me, there are too many complainers and line snappers for my Dad to handle at once, he needs his right hand man (me).
4. How To Shoot A Gun
As I said before my Dad has been a hunter his whole life. One of the best lessons my Dad taught me was gun safety. From a young age I was around guns in the safest way possible. Knowledge is everything and when I was old enough my Dad taught me all about guns and took me to the shooting range for the first time. It is now one of our favorite things to do together. And my Dads face when his daughter is shooting better than some of the guys on the range is priceless.
5. How To Be A Great Athlete
Not only was my Dad always there as a coach for me, he was there in the toughest times of my sporting career. He was there to talk to me down after I didn't get my cut times. He was the only person that was allowed near me after a bad race. He was there when my injuries kept me from competing and worked with me to get back in the pool again. Even on my worst days he still challenged me to race him, knowing that I could never turn down competition. He taught me that losing sucks, but you can gain so much from it. Take what you learned from this loss and come back better than ever. Kick some ass.
Being a daughter to a Dad with no sons is the best. You get a stronger relationship out of it and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
