Those that know me know that I always wanted a daughter. My reasoning was that she would love me unconditionally. I believed that would help fill the hole that was in my heart. God heard my prayers and made it so in giving me the most beautiful baby girl on October 18, 2007.
Haelee told me during the midst of an argument that she wasn’t exactly sure if I loved her because my words didn’t match my actions. She reminded me that I told her that a boy that says that he loves her will show it and vice versa. On that note, she said that she was confused by me because I didn’t tell her how beautiful she is, how smart she is, etc. I retorted that she was right and that I was sorry but I didn’t stop there. I wrote her a book entitled Dear Daughter. It recounts my love in words and pictures from the past, present, and future. I gave it to her as gift on February 14, 2022. My thoughts were that she’d be able to treasure it today and long after I’ve gone onto Glory. While I wrote it primarily for her, I actually wrote it for daughters across the world. I wanted it to be that one good thing that I’ve done in my life. Haelee was so enamored by it that she reached out to Rachel Boyd of Spectrum News. She told her what I had done and asked if she would be willing to cover me in a story for my birthday given that it was on February 20, 2022. Rachel loved the idea so she and a friend drove up from Wilmington, NC on March 5, 2022 and sat down for Saturday Morning Story Time at Next Chapter Bookstore (Ben's Boyz). Dr. Sakesha Caston cried as she recounted the inspiration behind her debut book, Mommy Loves my Little Toes. It's a story of a mothers love for her son. Tara Hill-Starks and her son, J.J. had us all crying in laughter as they read, Green Go, Red Stop. Green GO, Red STOP! is an interactive and fun read for children to learn and understand the concepts of character traits and how important they are in life.
Moving along, Rachel interviewed Haelee and I after each one of us had a chance to read our stories, answered questions, took pictures, signed autographs, and ate. She shared that they missed my birthday so they may hold the broadcast until Father’s Day as a gift. She asked some really tough questions one of which was, “How far do you see this going? I mean you’ve done something great here with Dear Daughter.” You’ll have to stay tuned to Spectrum News for my answer. Also be sure to plug into Next Chapter Bookstore because it’s where magic happens for diverse authors. You can find them at 2711 Grandview Ave, Greensboro, NC 27408. Ask for Sherricka if you're looking for our or other great books and be sure to tell her that Haelee and Dedrick sent you.
Oh and as a note be certain to grab copies of Through Our Eyes and I Fit in Just Right. I promise that you'll thank me later. Both books are written by Sherricka Carpenter-Stanley. Enjoy the photos in the meantime. More will be added later so keep a watch on this post.
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