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What Every Father Should Teach His Daughter About Men

And why it matters

Kim Petersen
Bitchy

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Image by OpenAI (2024). A confident woman stands strong in the foreground, with a father figure in the background. By request, it was generated with DALL·E.

“You should not trust us until we prove ourselves. That said, the right men are attracted to women who are comfortable with who they are and confident in their own gifts, abilities, and ambitions.”

Mickey Maudlin.

I didn’t hear it from my father. He was never the type to open up about romantic love or impart wisdom on dealing with men. Feelings and women. It was all too much for him.

Just ask my mother.

She loved him so hard and for so long, pouring every ounce of her heart into their bond. For years, she tried even harder than she thought possible to reach him, to bridge the emotional gap that seemed to grow wider with time.

Like most women, she craved a meaningful connection — the type that goes beyond mere companionship — a connection that fed her soul and nurtured her sense of self.

I’m talking about the stuff that allows her to flourish in a relationship, to feel seen, valued, and truly understood.

But my dad wasn’t available, not in the way she needed. He couldn’t meet her there. His walls were too…

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