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Dear Cherry,
You may only be eight months old but I feel as though I have known you my whole life. Despite all the dirty nappies and your general love of chaos, you are truly the best thing that has happened to your mum and I.
You made me cry with happiness the very first time I met you and you still make me cry with joy when you pull cute faces, like the face you make when you’re concentrating really hard on doing a poo.
The world is a scary place right now and I can only hope that as you grow older everyone starts to calm down and realise
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that we all should live in peace and harmony together. I will always be here to love and protect you but one day you will grow up and become your own woman.
I can’t explain everything to you about being a grown up, some things you will have to discover for yourself. There are really some things I can’t explain, like how butterflies fart or how Harry Styles gets his hair to fall so perfectly, but there are some things I would like to talk to you about.
I want you to grow up understanding that girls don’t need to be fragile and weak and boys
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don’t need to be tough and rough. Men and boys are allowed to cry and be vulnerable, just as you’re allowed to play with trucks and footballs. I cried when you were born and when I married your mum and also during the Katy Perry documentary. You see Russell Brand had just dumped her and she couldn’t stop crying and… sorry, I’m getting off topic. Basically dress in what you like, have fun with whatever toys you like and play whatever sports take your fancy.
Don’t worry about the shape of your body either. Your friends and the people
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you’ll see on TV will probably put a lot of pressure on you to look a certain way but you do what you want, how you want. You’re beautiful no matter what.
Make sure you smile at people and say please and thank you. It’s just nice to do and it makes other people feel good. Stand up for elderly people, like Nanna and Grandpa, on buses and trains and hold doors open for people. Again, it’s nice to do.
You need to be kind to all people no matter the colour of their skin, their shape or their gender. There is something called homophobia that
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really doesn’t make sense. It’s like hating people who are left handed, simply because they are different to you. It’s ridiculous which is a grown up word for really silly.
I’m ashamed to say that in our country mummies can’t marry mummies and daddies can’t marry daddies yet, but hopefully this will soon change. You can’t help who you fall in love with as you’ll discover when you get a bit older. Mum and I will love you no matter whether you fall in love with a boy or a girl.
Take an interest in other people and ask questions. Make
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friends with people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Some of the most interesting people I know were born somewhere else and often have amazing stories to tell. Amazing is a grown up word for really exciting.
Above all my darling baby girl, grow up to be yourself. Don’t try to change because you think it is what somebody else wants. Live your own life for you, not to please others. You’re going to have an amazing life and grow up to be a strong, independent woman. You’ll make mistakes, your mum and I certainly have, but learn from
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these and make sure something good comes from it.
Never stop smiling or laughing Cherry because your smile is too beautiful to hide away. I can’t wait to teach you how to kick a ball and how to play Barbie’s and when the time comes Mum can teach you all about the period stuff because honestly, I still don’t understand it and get a bit flustered just talking about it. Mum and I will always be here for you no matter what you need. We’ll only ever be a phone call, a short trip or a hug away.
With love, Dad.
Read more posts by David
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Coppi here
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David Coppi - 16 Oct 14
Dear Cherry,
You may only be eight months old but I feel as though I have known you my whole life. Despite all the dirty nappies and your general love of chaos, you are truly the best thing that has happened to your mum and I.
You made me cry with happiness the very first time I met you and you still make me cry with joy when you pull cute faces, like the face you make when you’re concentrating really hard on doing a poo.
The world is a scary place right now and I can only hope that as you grow older everyone starts to calm down and realise that we all should live in peace and harmony together. I will always be here to love and protect you but one day you will grow up and become your own woman.
I can’t explain everything to you about being a grown up, some things you will have to discover for yourself. There are really some things I can’t explain, like how butterflies fart or how Harry Styles gets his hair to fall so perfectly, but there are some things I would like to talk to you about.
I want you to grow up understanding that girls don’t need to be fragile and weak and boys don’t need to be tough and rough. Men and boys are allowed to cry and be vulnerable, just as you’re allowed to play with trucks and footballs. I cried when you were born and when I married your mum and also during the Katy Perry documentary. You see Russell Brand had just dumped her and she couldn’t stop crying and… sorry, I’m getting off topic. Basically dress in what you like, have fun with whatever toys you like and play whatever sports take your fancy.
Don’t worry about the shape of your body either. Your friends and the people you’ll see on TV will probably put a lot of pressure on you to look a certain way but you do what you want, how you want. You’re beautiful no matter what.
Make sure you smile at people and say please and thank you. It’s just nice to do and it makes other people feel good. Stand up for elderly people, like Nanna and Grandpa, on buses and trains and hold doors open for people. Again, it’s nice to do.
You need to be kind to all people no matter the colour of their skin, their shape or their gender. There is something called homophobia that really doesn’t make sense. It’s like hating people who are left handed, simply because they are different to you. It’s ridiculous which is a grown up word for really silly.
I’m ashamed to say that in our country mummies can’t marry mummies and daddies can’t marry daddies yet, but hopefully this will soon change. You can’t help who you fall in love with as you’ll discover when you get a bit older. Mum and I will love you no matter whether you fall in love with a boy or a girl.
Take an interest in other people and ask questions. Make friends with people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Some of the most interesting people I know were born somewhere else and often have amazing stories to tell. Amazing is a grown up word for really exciting.
Above all my darling baby girl, grow up to be yourself. Don’t try to change because you think it is what somebody else wants. Live your own life for you, not to please others. You’re going to have an amazing life and grow up to be a strong, independent woman. You’ll make mistakes, your mum and I certainly have, but learn from these and make sure something good comes from it.
Never stop smiling or laughing Cherry because your smile is too beautiful to hide away. I can’t wait to teach you how to kick a ball and how to play Barbie’s and when the time comes Mum can teach you all about the period stuff because honestly, I still don’t understand it and get a bit flustered just talking about it. Mum and I will always be here for you no matter what you need. We’ll only ever be a phone call, a short trip or a hug away.
With love, Dad.
Read more posts by David Coppi here
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David Coppi is an author, chiropractor, bonsai enthusiast and punk-rock loving father to ten month old Cherry. He lives in Adelaide, South Australia. His book 'Think Act Grow: Success Principles for Young People and Parents' is available now through Amazon.
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