One thing about being raised by a wonderful father is that even early on, he already set the standards for my future life partner.
1. Nice guys don’t always have to finish last.
Maybe you’re one of the many girls who like the bad boy-type. But nice guys, the ones you invite to your house to meet your family, can also be as attractive. I want my future partner to be someone that my parents will love and welcome into the family, one who they trust will take care of their baby girl.
2. Want to know how nice a guy is? Ask his mom.
You can always tell how a man will treat his wife by the way he treats his mother. ― Janette Rallison
Any guy can come up with flowery words and a good-boy facade to woo you. But there is one person who knows him inside-out, and that’s his mother. Watch out for someone who avoids his mother’s calls. But if the dude and his mom have a genuine, loving bond together, then you’ve got yourself a keeper.
3. Look for a man who silently works hard, and lets his success make the noise.
My father developed in me a respect for hard work; it’s taught me to love everything I do and can the whining. I’ve never heard my father complain about his job, and he’s always the last one to leave the office. That’s why I’ll never settle for less than a man who commits 100% to his work, no matter what that may be. There’s nothing more attractive than a man who is passionate about what he does.
4. A man who loves you will put his needs on the back burner.
Although they never talk about it, fathers have dreams, too. But my dad, like many fathers, gave them up for his children. I want to someday find a man who will make his family his first priority, and when asked, will say what my dad always used to say: “Every father’s dream is to make his children’s dreams come true.”
5. A sense of humor is one of the secrets to a happy life.
For a large man, my father has a tiny laugh, and it’s hilarious to hear. Even during difficult situations, he’ll still be able to guffaw at something funny on TV. I hope that someday I’ll have a relationship full of fun, with a guy who’ll tell me that my laugh is the best sound in the world.
6. Intelligence is sexy.
If you sit down with my father for a meal, you’ll leave the table a smarter person. And it’s not all trivia knowledge either: he takes note of the emergency phone numbers in every city we visit, and makes us memorize them, just in case. He’s well-prepared for what life might throw at him, and has raised his children to be the same way.
7. Go for the responsible one.
My dad is always at home after work, and if he does go out with his buddies, he always lets my mom know beforehand. He makes sure that all the bills have been paid before splurging on a (much-deserved) gadget for himself. I want to look for someone who knows his priorities and acts his age, not a giant 12-year-old.
8. PDA is welcome (Perpetual Displays of Affection, I mean).
My parents are the kind of couple that kiss and hold hands in public, wear matching t-shirts, and generally act like high-schoolers. I jokingly tell them to get a room when they act cheesy in front of me, but deep down I wish that even in my old age, there’ll still be someone who’d kiss me on the forehead just because.
9. Every day can be an adventure, with the right person.
I want to be with a guy who’ll discover new things and places with me, and encourage me to explore the uncharted territories outside of my comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be a costly trip to another continent; something as mundane as trying Asian food or enrolling in boxing classes together will be more than enough.
10. It’s the little things that matter.
My dad is the type of person who’ll call my mom up when he’s at the store to ask if she needs anything. He also is the type of dad who will buy something he saw on a trip because he knows I’ll love it. I want my future relationship to be one where we do things for one another out of love, just because we want to see each other smile.
11. Find a man who looks at you like you’re the greatest gift on earth.
I want a man who will look at me the way that my father looks at my mother: with utmost adoration. Whenever I see them together, his eyes speak volumes, as if saying, “I’m the luckiest man in the world!”
12. The most important thing I learned from my dad? That I deserve to be loved.
For as long as I can remember, he’s been the human shield to all of Life’s bullets. He’s made it his aim to put my well-being above his. My whole life is a great example of the extent to which one person can love another. I can only hope for my future partner to come close to the kind of man my father has been.