Because dads aren't bad either

When young women who think think about formation they think first about their mothers. The mother/daughter relationship--in mediocre Oprah's Book Club novels and in what is hopefully a less forgettable life--is fraught yet formative, intense and instructive. In the most ordinary of homes, fathers appear on the fringe of daughterly development. The masculine figures who lurk in the background, forming their sons with baseballs and stick shifts while the second sex sticks together. Though there are fewer pages filled about father/daughter relationships, there are many adjectives worth using to describe them: subtle, deep and important.

In so many ways, my dad helped form me into the woman I am today--still unformed but getting a little closer. On my 24th year of being my father's daughter, here are five reasons I think he's pretty great:

1. My family has a long-running competition over which member is the funniest. We pride ourselves on our own brand of humor whether or not non-members agree. The real truth of the matter, however, is that my dad wins the contest. His funny subtly infiltrating the rest of our jokes. Here it is in writing: I admit defeat and nod my head to one of comedy's greatest.

2. My dad taught me to appreciate good music. Singing, playing and listening. He doesn't care about genre. As long it's good, he likes classical as much as hip-hop. My dad introduced me to The Kinks and Joni Mitchell, but also surprised me with Jurassic Five concert tickets one year. Nothing like late-night hip hop with your fifty-year-old dad.

3. My dad carries smooth green rocks in his pocket and always has an egg of silly putty on hand because it's okay to be quirky.

4. My dad and I name waves at the beach on both coasts.

5. My dad introduced me to Strunk and White's Elements of Styles--one of the best books by which a person can live and write. You must know the rules of writing before you can break them with purpose.

Fathers get less credit in the formation of their daughters, but that's not really fair; their influence is far-reaching and distinct. So, happy Father's Day to my daddo and all the other fathers of thoughtful daughters.