“Napkin Notes” by Garth Callaghan
“Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.”
-Maya Angelou
“Normal is a setting on a washing machine. Be awesome.”
-Unknown
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
-Mark Twain
“Dear Emma, if I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes. Only then would you realize how special you are to me. Love, Dad”
-Garth Callaghan
These are just a few of the napkin notes that the author packed in his daughter’s lunch bag every morning. His promise was to write 826 napkins so that Emma, his daughter, would have one every day until she graduated from High School.
He started making lunches and packing napkin notes when she was small. After Emma turned twelve, her father Garth was diagnosed with kidney cancer. The prognosis was not good. Garth was diagnosed with cancer four time and was given an 8% chance to live long enough to see his daughter graduate from High School.
I found this book to be very inspirational. The big message is to treasure what is really important – relationships and friendships that matter. Emma started to save all her Dad’s notes. There would never be any doubt what her Dad believed in and what he stood for.
Pack. Write. Connect. Life is short, and Napkin Notes by Garth Callaghan is a positive statement about hope.
-Jan Ridenour
Technical Services Specialist