Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow

Garth Callaghan doesn’t know how long he has to live. But he can be certain of one simple thing: No matter his fate, his daughter, Emma, will find a handwritten note inside her lunchbox each day until she graduates from high school.

Cancer has given Garth Callaghan a new purpose: to inspire parents to connect more with their children even in small ways, as he has done before and since his diagnosis by tucking a napkin note into his daughter’s lunch every day.

Every morning as he packs Emma’s lunch, Garth adds a little surprise: a “napkin note”—a short, tender message to convey his love, encouragement, and pride. Garth began writing his napkin notes when Emma was in grade school, and as she grew up, his notes became more meaningful.

Shortly after Emma turned twelve, Garth learned he had kidney cancer. Determined to make the time he has left meaningful, he has compiled years’ worth of notes to get his daughter through her high school graduation. Now, in this moving book, a blend of inspiration and memoir, he makes his remarkable legacy available to all of us, to deepen our relationships with our own children and those we love.

Garth introduces each chapter with a napkin note and then shares a story connected to it and to his life. In the vein of The Last Lecture, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Until I Say Good-bye, Napkin Notes is an inspiring tale of family, love, and wisdom. Beautifully written, tender, and wise, it is sure to warm the hearts and touch the souls of readers everywhere.

Garth Callaghan doesn't know how long he has to live. But he can be certain of one simple thing: no matter his fate, his daughter will have a handwritten note tucked inside her lunchbox each day until she graduates from high school. He was born in Saranac Lake, New York, grew up in the small village of Port Leyden, New York, and resides near Richmond, Virginia, where he has lived with his daughter, Emma, and wife, Lissa, for most of his grown-up life. His daughter helped to inspire the Napkin Notes collection. His hope is that parents will make lunches for their children and always pack a Napkin Note.