Tribute to my Dad

Fathers are a young girls first love. They are the first man a girl will ever love and trust. Fathers were made to love and protect their little girls, to keep harm and hurt away from them at all costs. They were made to sit and play dolls with you and to have a tea party with you. They are the ones who slay all your dragons and keep their little princess safe. As a little girl you know that whenever dad is around that he will take good care of you and nothing will ever happen to you.

As you keep growing these roles inevitably change and form into something new and exciting. You don’t need your dad to play with you or be your date to a tea party, but rather you need him to give you advice on a boy at school. You now need a shoulder to cry on and a good head with lots of advice. It’s having him take you to class parties or butterfly balls or having a date together, just so you know how special you truly are to him.

You keep getting older and, slowly but surely, keep getting more and more independent. You now need his help with calculus and anatomy, not just simple math facts. You now are starting to talk about your future with him, which includes all of his favorite topics; college, dating, moving out, and weddings. It all used to seem so far away, but now here it is. But through all of it he still gives you his shoulder to cry on and still takes you out on dad and daughter dates.

A big thank you to all the dads who encourage their daughters to chase their wildest dreams and tell them to never give up. Thank you to my dad for always supporting me and all of my endeavors, for always giving me a shoulder to cry on, and for always letting me talk to him about anything.

One wish at a time,

Paris Arnhalt

Miss Teen North Dakota International 2018