A majority of the time, one of the first guys in a girls life is her father. He is there to hold her hand, pick her up when she cries and set the standard of what a girl should look for in a man.

Every break up that I have gone through in my life I always find myself saying, "He did not treat me the way my dad treats my mom."

My dad has always treated my mom with the utmost respect and has never made anyone question his love for her. I have found myself lately saying I want a guy that makes me laugh the way my dad makes my mom laugh, or a guy that talks to me the way my dad talks with my mom. There are sometimes when I think that it will be impossible to find a man who can even compare to how amazing my dad is. So here are some of the qualities that I find important in a man that I can always find in my dad.

From an early age, every girl is in search for her Prince Charming. We see the Prince Charming facade in movies like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. We expect him to just show up on a beautiful horse one day and all our dreams and wishes become fulfilled. Sadly it is not that simple. Guys are more complex and have a lot more layers than just the attractive, heroic prince.

The truth is, the majority of girls have to go through multiple "Prince Charmings" before they find their true prince.

Even though we sometimes think we find the one true Prince Charming, we are blinded by the "charm" and end up not getting the "prince." At least we still have our standards and ideas of what our Prince Charming looks like. Many of these qualities we expect from our princes come from our dads. One of the qualities that I expect from my Prince Charming is a sense of humor. My dad's laugh is contagious and we can literally sit on the couch for hours laughing at funny videos or family stories.

Around Christmas time, one of my favorite things is bringing up old "Christmas Horrors" which usually have to deal with the Christmas tree falling, or someone's hair getting caught on fire by a candle. I want someone who will sit and laugh with me until we can't breathe. I want a guy who gets my corny jokes and says I am funny even when I sound ridiculous. Thank you, dad, for all of the laughs and making that a quality that I hope my future Prince Charming has.

I spent my life on a softball field starting at the age of four. When I began I was not very good, but as I got older I began to develop more skills and become more of an athlete. Something that I have always been able to look to my dad for is support. Whether it be on the field as my coach or in the stands, he never stopped supporting me.

Even when I was not very good, he still wanted to help me become better. I want a man who can support me in every aspect of my life. Having someone who shows an interest in your life shows that they really care. I want someone who intertwines their life with mine and does not make me feel guilty for being involved in my life. Thank you, dad, for coming to all of the ball games, chorus concerts, and special life events that would not have been the same without you there. Thank you for showing me that support should not come at a price, but it should be a natural ability.

"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior."

-Ephesians 5:23

A Godly man is more admirable than an ungodly man.

I want someone who I can pray with and not be embarrassed or ashamed by it. Someone who can talk to me about God and us have an open conversation about him and what he is doing in our lives. I want someone who relies on God just as much as I do. I know I am not the perfect Christian, not by a long shot, so having someone who makes my relationship grow with Christ is something that I desperately want in a partner.

Thank you, dad, for always encouraging us to go to church, and whenever we were in times of worry or conflict reminding us to pray. You have never been ashamed of your faith, and you have never denied us a chance to get to know God, and I hope that the man I marry is able to love God unconditionally and help me grow in my faith as well.

"A guy who loves Jesus will respect you, pursue you, pray for you, pray with you, and treasure you. He won't try to pressure you or control you; he will gently walk beside you and lead you. He will worship with you, and, most importantly, remind you that only God can truly satisfy."