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GLEN ALLEN, Va. — Garth Callaghan has been writing notes on his daughter's napkins to put in her school lunches for years, but they took on special meaning when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
Not willing to let his eighth-grader Emma go a day without some encouragement, even if he is gone, Callaghan is writing 826 notes to last until she graduates from high school — just in case his condition takes a turn for the worse. He said it is all about keeping promises and supporting his daughter.
"This isn’t a story about cancer because any parent at any time could be hit by a car or have a heart attack," he told Today.com. "This is really about leaving a legacy so that she can understand some of my life philosophies and how much I love her.”
Known as "Napkin Note Dad," Callaghan started writing notes to Emma when she was in kindergarten. His notes include famous quotes, personal thoughts and sometimes even sketches.
Now he shares them on social media in hopes that they will encourage others to connect with their children. He shows people how they can “Pack. Write. Connect.” on his website, Facebook and Twitter.
Callaghan, 44, has been diagnosed with cancer three times. While he is in remission, he said he has been told people with his medical history rarely live more than five years.
He was inspired to write enough notes to cover the rest of his daughter's grade school career by the campaign "Because I Said I Would," which is devoted to keeping promises.
Recently, Emma has begun writing notes back to her dad.
"Emma snuck a Napkin Note into my gear before I left for work this morning," Callaghan wrote on his blog. "I don’t even know if I can begin to describe joy I feel. This is utterly awesome! My daughter, to whom I have been writing Napkin Notes to for years, is now communicating to me in the same way."
Her note on Jan. 15 read, "An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards. So when life is dragging u back, it means it’s going to launch you into something awesome!"
