There’s something uniquely special about the relationship between a father and his daughter.

It’s a unique bond that can mean the world to his little girl and make all the difference in their lives.

That, I can attest to.

Learning to be a girl dad is no small feat, I can imagine, but my dad has never faltered.

He treats me with the same tough love that he shows my brother, but he has also learned to have a gentler hand when needed.

Even those times when “rub some dirt on it” is on the tip of his tongue, my dad has near-mastered the gauge telling him when that turn of phrase won’t be the most helpful.

Yet he’ll always crack a joke when the right time comes around again.

He’s also never been afraid to fit into the role of a girl dad.

When I was playing softball at a young age, my dad was my coach, so he and I traveled everywhere together while my mom was off with my brother as he was playing travel ball, too. And, when all the other moms were braiding their girls’ hair, my dad offered to learn so I wouldn’t feel excluded.

He also shows his false enthusiasm when I come home with a new color on my nails or pretends to care when I ask him what shoes look better with my outfit. But he also knows how to play the role of a stricter girl dad, showing his disapproval of a few outfits from time to time.

A good girl dad enables daughters to feel empowered, too. My dad has always supported me and made me feel like there’s nothing I can’t do.

I’ve never backed down from a competition or challenge, knowing my parents are always in my corner, and my dad has also shown me that being a girl doesn’t put me at a disadvantage in any given scenario.

Strong father-daughter relationships can help shape daughters into who they want to be, and dads set a lot of standards for their daughters.

They show them how they deserve to be treated. They display what it means to be a gentleman and that chivalry is not — nor should ever be — dead.

In a way, they also show us what we’re looking for in a partner.

For a random example, I don’t know if I could date someone who didn’t like to talk about sports. It’s always been a hot topic in my family, and I’d like to date a guy who can fit into those conversations. Also, I don’t think I’d date someone who couldn’t handle the playful bullying that my dad and I usually team up for.

More importantly, my dad shows me who I want to be.

I like to think I gained a lot of great traits from him, one of which is his work ethic.

My dad’s the kind of guy who will work 80 hours a week and still make time to coach his daughter’s softball team, without complaint.

He’s also a bit of a perfectionist with his work, as am I. We work until the job is done right, which can often mean “our way or the highway,” but we just want to see success in ourselves, others, the task at hand, or whatever else it might be.

My dad and I are both very creative people, as well. We both like to take on new projects and fuel our minds with new ideas. In fact, he’s the one who got me into photography, which then led me to my career.

I think I gained a lot of my dad’s humor, as well.

Seeing him make people laugh has always made me want to make people laugh. He’s quick with his humor, as well, while I’m quicker with sassy — but still funny — remarks. But we know how to bicker in a playful way, and it’s how we show our love.

There are countless other characteristics that my dad passed on to me and things that he’s taught me about myself and the world around me, but, every day, I’m just proud to be his little girl and I hope to make him proud, as well.

Having a great dad can make all the difference in the world, and the particularly special bond between a dad and his daughter is something I’ll forever be grateful for.

Through this I extend my love and wish all the fathers out there — especially mine — a happy Father’s Day.

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.