I always get really excited for the day after Valentine’s Day because that’s when all the overpriced chocolate is on sale for under a dollar at Walmart. I love when I can consume my feelings for under a dollar.
Just kidding.
I’m that female, the one that has never had a significant other on Valentine’s Day and constantly complains about it, or complained, I should say. Honestly, once I began my first year of college I realized having a boyfriend really does not matter because I don’t have time for one anyway. I also realized that I’ve always had a Valentine, I just didn’t realize it until recently.
You know that dude that you share your blood with? The one that raised you and promised you he would protect you? He’d beat up any man that breaks your heart? He guaranteed that you’d always be his little girl (even at 20 years of age) and nothing would change that?
That’s my father and probably every other loving father in the world to be honest. A father holds such an important place in our hearts whether we like it or not. Mothers, you are greatly appreciated too, but you know you are appreciated because your children spend every minute of their lives making sure you know that. So I think it’s time for me to give a little bit of love and appreciation to the males out there that put effort into being the best fathers possible to their children.
My father is my Valentine and always has been. He’s the guy that took on the role of my mother when she passed away back in 2005. And let me tell you, playing mom and dad is not easy when your trying to raise three kids at once while holding a job. He worked his behind off to make sure my brothers and I were taken care of and there is never anything I can do to show him how much I appreciate that.
Most fathers are conditioned to essentially be our protectors. I don’t say that to sound sexist, but that is typically what is expected from a father. I go to my father whenever I’m in need of anything and that is because I know he is there for me and there to protect me no matter what. He would never say anything intentionally to hurt me, and I know that even when we get into our constant political debates.
And don’t you love those dads that think they’re funny, but the entire time you’re looking at them with the sourest face of disgust? Those are my favorite kinds of dads. They make a joke that sounds like it has been directly selected from a joke book. These days I just laugh just to humor the guy and give him some confidence. They are such corny human beings, but I love my father for that.
Dads 110% understand how the male brain works and that is the main reason as to why they become so threatening when we get our hearts broken. Any time my heart is broken, I know he will happily go knock on the door of the person that did the breaking and send a threat their way just to warn them to stay 1,000 feet away from me for the rest of my life.
One of my favorite qualities in my father is how humble he is. He is always the first to apologize when we get into an argument and that seems consistent across the board of not only fathers, but male figures in general. Even when I’m wrong, my dad will still be the first to apologize when we have an argument.
Speaking of that, my father and I have had SEVERAL arguments before. Our relationship has never been all butterflies and rainbows. But you know what they say, we fight with those we love the most. The reason we fight with the people we love is because our relationships with those we love we find to be the relationships worth fighting for.
I love seeing fathers and daughters grocery shop together because it reminds me of all the times I went grocery shopping with mine when I was a child. I remember standing on the end of the shopping cart while my dad would push me around. I would never want that shopping trip to end because it was the only one-on-one time I had with him.
There are many qualities in a father I feel we could spend hours appreciating and finding reasons to embrace. My father has empowered me to be the strong and motivated woman I am today. He is the man I go to when I feel my world is coming to an end. At the end of the day, I know he would take a bullet for me.
If there may be a point in life where you feel distraught about being single on Valentine’s Day, just remember the one man that will always love and treat you right under any condition. Even the day he walks me down the isle, he’ll still be number one. So this year, once again and like always, my father is my Valentine for being the best father he could possibly be.