Dating a Dad

In honor of Father's Day this Sunday I thought I would write about the amazing men who are father's in my life. This first entry is about my boyfriend, Adam. Enjoy!

If you would have told me even six months ago that I would be dating and falling for a man with a kid, chances are, I probably would have told you that you were crazy. It's not that I have ever had anything against dating a dad, I want kids of my own someday, but I guess its all the drama that can come along with that title that turned me off. Fortunately for me my man is pretty much drama free and he is an amazing full-time dad. Anyone can have a child but I think it takes a special kind of man to be a dad. I think Adam is one of those people who was born to be a dad. Despite his young age he has figured out how to care for, love and teach his daughter in a way that many parent's twice his age still haven't quiet figured out. Here are ten things that not only make him a special person, but also a great father to his daughter.

1. He puts her first above anything else, including himself. His daughter is his world and he is her protector, father and friend.

2. He holds her accountable for her successes and her failures.

3. He never lets her win. He wants her to learn what it takes to win and how to handle losing so he never let's her win -- not even at Disney Scene-It!

4. He believes in believing. Even at 12-years-old his daughter still believes in Santa Claus because he encourages her imagination and willingness to believe.

5. He leads by example.

6. He loves God and in turn so does his child.

7. He strives to make decisions for his daughter based on what's best for her, not always what's easiest. This is probably one of the qualities I admire the most about him. It takes courage and selflessness to do this and he does it well.

8. He doesn't do it by himself. Even though he's a single dad he's definitely not alone. Over the years Adam has created a circle of friends and family that would do anything for him and his daughter. They're both better people because of the people who are part of their lives.

9. He is not afraid of discipline but he also knows how to have fun.

10. He tells her he loves her. Growing up I knew a lot of girls who had terrible relationships with their dads. If their father's would have only said those three little words, I can only imagine how different their relationships would have been. Love is not the answer, its the starting point.

Is it worth it?

People often say the fun part of a relationship is in the beginning. I am not so sure I agree. Yes, the butterflies in your stomach and excitement of being with someone new are great but I think we tend to look back at the beginning of a relationship with rose color glasses and forget about the hard parts. Like realizing that what you thought was a witty remark really hurt your significant others feelings or that they could really do without your gum chewing and sarcasm. These lessons don't usually come easily and at some point both parties have to ask themselves "is this really worth it?"

Unfortunately my current relationship has hit this pinnacle moment and I am on the sidelines waiting to find out if my boyfriend thinks the good outweighs the bad. Is the laughter, fun times and witty banter worth dealing with my emotional reaction to things? I have a feeling this is what he's mulling over right now. Over the last 24-hours I have been going through a very similar train of thought and the answer for me is yes. The good still out weighs the bad. In fact, being the optimist I am, I have hope that he will make the same decision.

Do you think this is a natural life cycle of a new relationship? How have you overcome the bumps in the road in your own relationship?