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When Michael Sellers discovered he was dying from cancer, he made sure his children knew he would still be watching out for them from afar. Sellers discussed the plan with Kristy, his wife of 18 years, and before his death in 2013, he managed to put it all into place.
Sellers pre-paid for a bouquet of flowers to be delivered on the birthdays of his youngest daughter, Bailey, who was 16 at the time of his death, until she reached age 21. So this year, on November 26, Bailey received what she knew would be her last bouquet with an emotional note attached.
It begins: “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.” After offering her a last bit of fatherly advice, Sellers said to his daughter: “I will still be with you through every milestone, just look around and there I will be.” Although we can imagine it was a bittersweet delivery for Bailey, who is now studying at East Tennessee State University, she shares that she was “so happy reading that message.”
However, Sellers also made sure to leave behind a more spiritual gift to all his children, who are between ages 21 and 33: an embroidered handkerchief that he had prayed over. He hoped that his 25-year-old daughters, Morgan and Abigail, would one day add their handkerchiefs to their wedding bouquets if and when they got married; a comforting gesture for any bride walking down the aisle without their dad by their side.
These thoughtful gifts have been cherished by Bailey, who has kept all the notes she received from her father, as well as a journal, explaining that he “was her best friend.” It was a bond that developed when Bailey left school to study at home, so she could help her mom look after her dad in his final months.
In Bailey’s first note, which she received on her 17th birthday, Michael Sellers started with: “I loved you first …” And that is exactly what it is to be a dad, or a mom — to love and protect your baby until your dying day, and even then, we all hope to look out for our children from above!
And today we celebrate...