I was my father's first child and his first daughter. So when he calls me princess, he means it. Growing up close to my dad put the magic in my childhood. There's a certain bond between a father and a daughter that has no distinct name and it will never be put into words. How does one describe to volume of love between a girl and her dad. Growing up daddy's little girl gives a girl the sparkle in her eye. Here are some things you know to be true if you grew up, and still are, daddy's little girl- because time can't change that bond.

1. You had a special tradition.

When I was little, the only ones up in the morning were my dad and I. Saturday morning was always the morning when we would go to Woodstock. To me, Woodstock was not the town next to mine but a foggy, gas station where I got to have cake for breakfast and hangout with my dad. Dads have a way of saying "yes" more than "no." A way that some moms resent, but kids can appreciate. Dads get that it is fun to have cake for breakfast!

2. He gave you some of your taste in music, fortunately or... unfortunately.

These Saturday mornings always started with a dirt road and a country music station. Whenever I see 95.3 on the radio I stop and listen, even though I am not a fan of country. I listen and wait, kind of hoping one of the five songs I know by heart will be on. The top country hits from 2004 are a source of nostalgia, whenever I hear Mr. Mom by Lonestar or Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson I think of my dad. It's really silly, but we knew all the words, and we still do. All that mattered was that we could sing along.

3. He made you a nerd.

My dad coached me all the way through two years of spelling team. I was captain my sixth grade year and he had me convinced it was pretty badass. It wasn't, but that's okay. He went with me to the state spelling competition where I competed and it was such a big deal. Dad's have a way of making their princesses feel like they are so smart, so talented, so believed in. Being daddy's little girl makes you confident.

4. There's an appreciation for nature you wouldn't have had otherwise.

Women and men can both be nature lovers, I know, but I'm just not innately drawn to the outdoors. Being daddy's little girl means you're exposed to natur in all it's glory. As a little girl you want to be like your dad. So I tagged along with him hunting. I am forever thankful that he didn't shoot anything that day and because of that, it wasn't too bad. I never went again (it is SO boring) but I got to see what it's like. From going on hikes at his camp and realizing that I love spring streams, to the thrill of four-wheeling...even though I ran ours into our swing-set. I wouldn't have that side to me if it weren't for my dad's influence.

5. He gave you your drive.

I am blunt, I am focused, and I have high standards. My dad always pushed me about my grades, encouraged me to explore colleges, and believed I could achieve anything. My dad gave me my ego, but he also gave me my appreciation for hard work. I have seen my father work tirelessly for his family and I know how driven he had to be at my age. Believing that I could do anything I worked hard for made dreams seem not so far away.

6. You know about sports, whether you like it or not. You might even start to like them.

My dad is a football coach, so even though I would never watch football if I had the choice, I understand the game. After hundreds of games, I can honestly say it makes me smile to see him dad, and little brother (his quarterback) walk away with a win.

7. When guys ask if they'll be afraid of your dad you just laugh.

I don't see my dad as some guy with a shotgun on the front porch trying to scare the living shit out of my new boyfriend. My dad's the guy who tells dumb jokes and sings the same song that's been stuck in his head since Tuesday. He's easy-going and friendly. So when guys ask if my dad is intimidating I can't even dignify the question. My dad is a goofy, loving, sometimes boring, guy and I am his goofy, loving, sometimes boring daughter.

8. You've fought, hard.

You two have had some heart-wrenching fights. The truth has came out many times and tears have been shed. But with all the anger and misunderstandings that can happen when daddy's little girl is navigating high school and growing up, he is also the greatest comfort. Sometimes a silent hug from your dad is all you need.

9. You know what it feels to trust someone completely.

Yeah, all girls confide in their mothers but when it comes to the big, big stuff we go straight to dad. Dad will tell us it's okay. While moms can worry with us and relate, a dad knows when to reassure you. Being the daughter of such a great father, I have the privlage to trust someone entirely. My first attempt skiing after many years, I was 18 and it was ROUGH. My dad took me though, and that's the only reason I dared. He stuck by my side the whole way down the seemingly endless mountain. My dad may lose his patience easily with refs at football games, but a father's patience for his daughter is somehow endless.

10. He taught you all you know (or a good amount of it anyway).

"That's my daughter in the water. Everything she knows I taught her." - Loudon Wainwright III

We learn so much from our dads. How to ride a bike, what a first down is, how to make coffee and how to fill out the FAFSA. Growing up daddy's little girl means you learned to never settle and always believe in yourself, and that you always have a friend.