I’ve Dated Every Version of My Father
It makes sense to believe that as women, we end up dating or marrying some sort of version of our fathers — similar characteristics, qualities, and/or traits. After all, a father is the first male in his daughter’s life to set the standard for how she should be loved and treated by a man. Our first interactions with the very first man we’ve ever known stays programmed within our memory from childhood through adulthood. A woman’s relationship with her father will always have an impact on the type of man she chooses to date.
Now, I do not believe that every woman on the planet will end up marrying someone like their father. God knows I have no plans of allowing that to happen for myself. However, it wasn’t until recently that I had this realization: I’ve dated every single version of my father.
I had taken a step back from the dating world and redirected my focus. I was ready to make a serious change within myself — I was ready to break the habit of entering and staying in toxic relationships. In order for me to do that, I had to figure out what constantly drove me into toxic relationships over and over again. I needed to understand why I felt like I needed to always be in a relationship or have someone to simply just be “there.” I needed to recognize the reason behind me settling for pieces of men who couldn't match my efforts.
