Right now you are my baby girl.
Right now you are 7. (Man, I wish we could stay in the right now!)
One day you will be all grown up. You will make decisions on your own. You will make choices that I don’t agree with. You will date boys I want to punch.
So before that happens, I want you to know a few things:
You are a strong girl. You are smart, caring, loving. You all have all your mom’s best traits and a few of my bad ones.
You can be anything you want. You can do anything you want if you will just put your mind to it. Trust your instincts. You have great instincts.
Don’t let yourself be defined by boys, who you date or who you hang out with. You are special just being you. Bring that gift that only you have to whatever relationships come your way.
You don’t have to marry someone I like. But marry someone you can’t live without. Marry someone who treats you well. Marry someone who wants to be your equal and wants a partnership. Marry someone who loves God and looks like Jesus.
With all my heart I want you to follow Jesus too. But I want you to make that decision, not based on my faith, but on your own. Test it, seek it, make a decision based on what you know and what the Bible teaches you. But I promise you will never regret it.
Serve others. Be hospitable. Be kind. Be generous.
Don’t be afraid to fail. Just know that every failure was a step to reaching your success.
Most of all, know that no matter what your mother and I will always be proud of you.
And when things seem like there is no hope, remember “I love you today, I love you tomorrow, I love you as deep as the sea. I love you in joy, I love you in sorrow. You can always come home to me.”
You can ALWAYS come home to me!
Love you baby girl!
Daddy
Justin Cherry 