1. She doesn’t have ‘daddy issues.’

Just because she didn’t have a close or good relationship with her father growing up, doesn’t mean she’s damaged. She just learned to find security in other things like work or friendships instead of family and she learned to take her sweet time before she trusts or loves someone.

2. She had to learn the hard way.

She learned about love and relationships the hard way because she had no guidance and no example to follow. She had to learn from trial and error which is why she doesn’t always get it right because she’s still learning.

3. She’s used to being alone.

She’s used to doing things on her own, she didn’t really ask for her dad’s help and that kind of became her lifestyle. She’s used to being independent because that was all she knew growing up.

4. She might seem ‘tough’ but it takes a while to see her softer side.

Her softer side is subtle and deeper than you expect, which is why you might not see it right away, it only comes out when she trusts someone and feels confident that they care enough about her so she can be herself.

5. She still has strong family values.

She can still be very close with her mother, her sister or her brother or other relatives and she definitely cherishes and cares about family, it just may not be a priority in her life, but she still knows a thing or two about family and she learned how to find her own home in other people.

6. She doesn’t understand the father-daughter relationship.

She doesn’t really have a ‘man of her life,’ she doesn’t know what that means because the male figure in her life was always somehow distorted or non-existent. She might not have a role model or anyone to compare her men to — she’s pretty much just trying to figure it out on her own.

7. She’s scared you’ll secretly judge her.

She’s scared you’ll think she’s damaged or that she’s a bad daughter because she never tried to fix her relationship with her father, but the truth is, she probably tried and it never really blossomed into anything and she doesn’t want people judging her for something she couldn’t have done on her own.

8. She learned to be her own security.

She doesn’t know the feeling of safety and security that comes with the embrace of a father or a father’s wisdom, she learned to redefine it and find her own meaning which is why it’s harder for her to let people take care of her because she doesn’t know what that feels like and she’s not used to it.

9. She’s looking for someone who embodies the qualities of the father she never had.

She looks for someone who can give her wisdom, security, love and protection because these are all the things she lacked growing up and this is what she always missed and probably still misses.

10. It may take her a while to fall in love — but once she does — it’s forever.

Once she falls for someone, she gives them all the love she wished she had received and more and she doesn’t know how to unlove someone. Once she falls in love with you, you’ll forever be engraved in her heart.