Bailey Sellers had a rough sixteenth year of life. That year her father died of pancreatic cancer, a devastating and painful loss for anyone, especially a child. Although the family had gone through him with his illness and knew it was possible he might not make it, the loss was a difficult one.
On her seventeenth birthday (just a couple months after his death), Bailey received a bouquet of flowers—red and purple—from her dad. They came with a note, “You will be receiving this until your 21st. Love, Dad.” She received pink flowers on her next birthday, then pink, then red, then pink and white, and on her 21st birthday, finally, various purple flowers. With each bouquet came a separate written note.
This is what the final card read:
“Bailey, This is my last love letter to you until we meet again. I do not want you to shed another tear for me my baby girl for I am in a better place. You are and will always be the most precious jewel I was given. It is your 21st birthday and I want you to always respect your momma and stay true to yourself. Be happy and live life to the fullest. I will still be with you through every milestone, just look around and there I will be. I love you Boo Boo and Happy Birthday!!!! Daddy”
As usual, Bailey shared pictures of the flowers and the letter, something she has done every year. But this year, she didn’t expect the outpouring of support and sympathy she got on social media. The post has almost a million and a half likes on Twitter, and has been retweeted 368,000 times. The purple flowers are a symbol of pancreatic cancer awareness.
This story is a beautiful example of a father’s love for his daughter, of the bittersweet nature of life, and is a beautiful reminder to the rest of us to hug our parents (and children) a little harder next time we see them.
