My Dad Took Me on a Date to Teach Me How a Real Man Treats a Woman (3 of 3)

And I froze. Because those were my dad’s words. Almost exactly.

Weeks later, Daniel shared something I didn’t see coming: every year growing up, his dad took him to Costco. Not for errands—but to teach him about respect, about treating women as equals, about love that doesn’t diminish you.

His dad had given him the same lessons, in the same place, just from the other side of the story.

It felt like something out of a novel—two kids raised with the same values, finding each other years later. Not because of luck. But because love, when taught right, leaves a map.

Looking back, I see it all clearly now. My dad wasn’t just setting a bar. He was teaching me to recognize the kind of love that feels safe, steady, and whole. And when I met someone raised to give that same kind of love, we just… clicked.

So if you’re wondering what love should feel like—maybe start with a sundae in a food court, and someone who sees your worth even in the smallest, quietest ways.

And if you haven’t found that person yet—don’t worry. They’re probably out there, sitting across from their dad, hearing the same things you did.