A woman in Tennessee celebrating her birthday was both thrilled and saddened to receive a delivery of flowers from her father – who had died five years ago.
On her 21st birthday, Bailey Sellers was thrilled to receive a beautiful purple bouquet from her father. But the gift was also bittersweet.
Her father, Michael William Sellers, had died of cancer five years ago, but before he passed away, he set up the flower deliveries for his beloved daughter each year on her birthday, to continue until she turned 21.
This year, she turned 21.
“My dad passed away when I was 16 from cancer and before he died he pre-paid flowers so I could receive them every year on my birthday, “she wrote on Twitter. “Well this is my 21st birthday flowers and the last. Miss you so much daddy.”
The bittersweet part is that every birthday is also a reminder of her loss. Her father passed away from pancreatic cancer weeks after Christmas in 2012. Michael left behind a wife and four children, including Bailey.
“Ever since my dad passed away I’ve hated my birthday and I dread it every year because he always made it so special,” Sellers told The New York Post. “I was especially dreading my 21st because I knew it would be the last year.”
That last letter from her father was most touching. After reading the letter, Bailey said she “broke down.”
“This is my last love letter to you until we meet again,” her father wrote in his last note. “I do not want you to shed another tear for me my baby girl for I am in a better place.”
“Be happy and live life to the fullest,” he added. “I will still be with you through every milestone, just look around and there I will be.”
Bailey’s post went viral with over 225,000 retweets and almost 970,000 likes.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.