In a touching display of love and dedication, terminally ill father Garth Callaghan plans to leave a handwritten note in his daughter’s lunch box each day until she graduates from high school, even after he passes.
After being diagnosed with prostate cancer one and kidney cancer twice, Callaghan’s doctor told him that he had an 8% chance of surviving another five years. Wanting to connect with his daughter Emma in the time he has left, Callaghan started the project ‘Napkin Notes’.
For this project, Callaghan jots down some meaningful life advice on a paper napkin, which he then stores inside Emma’s lunch box.
According to Callaghan, he told Mashable that Emma loves his Napkin Notes, and that she “looks forward to them each day”.
“She has friends that are jealous of her notes,” he added. “I am just thankful with the fact that she feels comfortable enough with her own self and shares them with friends.”
Thus far, Callaghan has completed 740 Napkin Notes, and has 86 more to go until Emma graduates. Emma herself doesn’t know about the project.
“I am sure that I will have to have that discussion with her soon, but honestly, we don’t talk about cancer statistics in our home, and I don’t want her to focus on that,” said Callaghan.
Besides bonding with his daughter, Callaghan also hopes that the project will inspire other parents to connect with their children through handwritten messages.
Check out some of his inspiring messages below, or head over to Callaghan’s blog to find out more.
[via Mashable, images via Napkin Notes]