OUR STORY

If we could put our finger on a moment in time when we leave our childhood behind, leaving home for university would be one such epic moment...

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And so it was when our son, Stephen, was preparing to leave home for university.  I always believed in an ideal for my children; there were things I thought were crucial in the makings of a good person, a good world citizen, and in achieving a full and happy life.  The essence of my own parenting was fundamentally driven by those convictions.  With the realization that Stephen was not just leaving our nest, but he was also leaving his childhood behind, I suddenly felt compelled to revisit everything I tried to teach him and instil in him over the years.  What are the things that really matter in life?  What are the things I want him to definitely remember?  What are the things that will serve him best in ensuring lifelong happiness as well as a life worth all of his potential?  What are the things that will ensure he stays a good person?

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Those questions were the thread that drove the tip of my pen as I feverishly started jotting down notes.  I strained to picture Stephen at every twist in his lifelong journey ahead; the high points, the low points, the sure, and the vulnerable.  I planned to write a letter and envisioned tucking it into a card for him to open in his dorm.  I wanted to give him something he could always turn to for finding inspiration, encouragement, self-trust and deep love.

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When I finally sat down to write this intended letter, I found there were so many little notes on bits of paper that they covered our entire kitchen table - and so I decided I would compile it all into a little book, juxtaposing the notes with photographs from our own family albums.

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SHARING NOTES

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I gave Stephen’s personal book to him when he came home for Christmas that year – he grasped its enormity in the way I hoped he would.  Soon, friends and family, including our children, began urging me to publish the book, convincing me that other parents too would feel their heart and voice in the same Notes.

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In time, I grew to be comfortable with the idea of sharing the book and actually found myself excited and passionate about the potential of the Notes to inspire and empower young lives, and thus perhaps make a difference in the world in some way.  After receiving the first printing, I began visiting a few gift shops.  It took all my courage to invite them to try sharing the Notes.  I was miles out of my comfort zone, but in my core I believed the book was somehow destined to be shared.

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Soon it was clear that other parents were touched to discover something that echoed so close to home – Notes To My Son – Before You Go sold out quickly and I had to order a new printing so large it scared me.  I also chose to write a Notes book for our two daughters, Lauren and Karyn, as they were on the threshold of leaving home.

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Notes To My Daughter – Before You Go was published the following year. Ultimately, it carries the same message;  it is a celebration of our daughters, and a gentle urging for her to chase an uncommon happiness while paying attention to everything that truly matters in life.

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Notes To My Baby – I Love You Already is the most recent title. I was inspired to write it when I found myself reflecting on that extraordinary chapter of time when our child is still in our womb.  This is when motherhood begins taking shape in our hearts; a fusion of complete love, joy, responsibility, and dreams.

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To date, over 80 000 copies of the NOTES Gift Books have been gift wrapped to celebrate a son, a daughter, a grandchild, or a friend, at some extraordinary moment in their lives. That is humbling indeed. Readers often personalize the books by adding their own notes on the pages, tucking in a few photos, and of course, signing them with their own heart. The Notes often end up on coffee tables, night stands, or a family hutch, paying tribute to humanity by keeping timeless truths close at hand.

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THANK YOU

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The best part of sharing the Notes with the world at large has been the remarkable opportunity to connect with other mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends and loved ones who write to me to share something about their lives, or the ways the Notes have touched their lives. Moments like these are filled with so much meaning that it is futile to try to describe their impact. I am grateful and humbled beyond comprehension.

 

Today, I am passionate about the potential to inspire lives far and wide by sharing the Notes.  I had no idea all the places the Notes would take me to – the people I would meet and the stories we would share, the absolutely wonderful distribution partners I would get to work with, all the special gift shop retailers that would love sharing the Notes as much as I loved writing them.

 

Thank you for being here and taking part in the Notes journey.  I am deeply grateful for the privilege I have had to be Stephen, Lauren and Karyn’s Mom; they have been my biggest joy, and my most important achievement.  To this day they continue to inspire me, and to validate the most beautiful and optimistic convictions I hold about all life.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this joy.