Book Review: ‘Notes to my Daughter’ by David A. Dixon

Reading David Dixon’s book Notes to my Daughter was bittersweet. I grew up without a dad.  My dad abandoned me before I was born. Nevertheless, I am happy that there are dads that do take pride in providing for their children.

Dixon dedicates the book to his daughter Kenadi. It takes the reader into an insightful journey of what a genuine father-daughter relationship should look like. Every child deserves the best from his or her parents. Dixon’s words of wisdom to his daughter makes this book a must-read for all dads. The author writes from his heart and offers good common sense advice to his daughter.

There are 15 chapters in the book. Chapters one and 14 are my two favorites. In chapter one, the author encourages his daughter to trust God. This in my opinion is sound, excellent advice.  Dixon is a wise father, because he wants to encourage his daughter to understand putting God first will be the most important thing she can do, and doing so will benefit her greatly.

Chapter 14,  titled “Learn to Forgive,”  starts with a quote that I absolutely love. By Paul Boese, it is very profound:  “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”

This speaks loudly to me. I believe when one continues to hold on to hatred by not forgiving those who have wronged you, you only prolong the hurt and keep the door shut for complete healing. Lucky for me, I learned early on to forgive those that have done me harm. I forgave my father a long time ago.

Instead of wallowing in the negative, I made a concerted effort to channel my energy into doing extremely well in school. In my opinion, lack of forgiveness is like a cancer; if allowed to fester, it will take you out of the game of life.

Notes to my Daughter is a book with life-changing messages for all daughters and dads.  It is a helpful and encouraging guide for a young woman as she embarks on the journey of life.