This one will probably give you some tears. Just say you were cutting onions or have allergies. Those excuses always work the best. At the same time you are saying it, hand the other person a drink. Works everytime. While many high school graduates are given cars or something material as a reward for graduating, Brenna Martin got something way more amazing. When she opened the present she saw a copy of "Oh, The Places You'll Go" which has become kind of mandatory at graduations. But inside, was something her dad managed to keep secret for 13 years.
Brenna wrote about the rest on her blog and her words are way better than mine.
I graduated High School this week. When my Dad said he had a present for me I thought I was getting some cheesy graduation card. But what I received was something truly priceless. Following the ceremony he handed me a bag with a copy of "Oh the Places You'll Go," by Doctor Seuss inside. At first I just smiled and said that it meant a lot and that I loved that book.
But then he told me "No, open it up." ...On the first page I see a short paragraph written by none other than my kindergarten teacher. I start tearing up but I'm still confused. He tells me "Every year, for the past 13 years, since the day you started kindergarten I've gotten every teacher, coach, and principal to write a little something about you inside this book."
He managed to keep this book a secret for 13 years, and apparently everyone else in my life knew about it! Yes the intended effect occured... I burst out in tears. Sitting there reading through this book there are encouraging and sweet words from every teacher I love and remember through my years in this small town. My early teachers mention my "Pigtails and giggles," while my high school teachers mention my "Wit and sharp thinking.." But they all mention my humor and love for life. It is astounding to receive something this moving, touching, nostalgic, and thoughtful.
I can't express how much I love my Dad for this labor of love.
I graduated High School this week. When my Dad said he had a present for me I thought I was getting some cheesy graduation card. But what I received was something truly priceless. Following the ceremony he handed me a bag with a copy of "Oh the Places You'll Go," by Doctor Seuss inside. At first I just smiled and said that it meant a lot and that I loved that book.
But then he told me "No, open it up." ...On the first page I see a short paragraph written by none other than my kindergarten teacher. I start tearing up but I'm still confused. He tells me "Every year, for the past 13 years, since the day you started kindergarten I've gotten every teacher, coach, and principal to write a little something about you inside this book."
He managed to keep this book a secret for 13 years, and apparently everyone else in my life knew about it! Yes the intended effect occured... I burst out in tears. Sitting there reading through this book there are encouraging and sweet words from every teacher I love and remember through my years in this small town. My early teachers mention my "Pigtails and giggles," while my high school teachers mention my "Wit and sharp thinking.." But they all mention my humor and love for life. It is astounding to receive something this moving, touching, nostalgic, and thoughtful.
I can't express how much I love my Dad for this labor of love.
Wow that was so simple yet amazing in so many ways
ReplyDeleteI think I have a crush on her Dad:)
ReplyDeleteI admire parents that come up with a plan like that and follow through. I barely finished the baby books and scrap books a year ago - my baby is 21. I had wonderful intentions but they were all pleased with their memory books given at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the most thoughtful thing I've ever heard of in my life. Also, I'm going to copy it, provided teachers can find nice things to say about my future kid. Hah.
ReplyDeleteAw that is so sweet. I still remember my dad coming in to my 5th grade class and reading this book to us. One of my favorites.
ReplyDelete*sniff* Who knew I was allergic to cutting onions? *sniff*
ReplyDeleteAw!!! When I graduated college, I already had a job lined up out of state. The plan was to attend commencement, then pack up my little pickup and my sis and I would drive to my new city and job. As we were packing, my dad (who drove across state with my mom to see me graduate) presented me with the oversized teddy bear, Kris Kringle that they had given me for Christmas when I was about 9 years old (I was barely taller than Kris at the time). I had left my stuffed animals at my parents' house. I couldn't help but cry and I said something to my mom and she said, "Thank your daddy. When we were leaving and your dad went back into the house and brought Kris out and said, 'She can't leave without Kris!'"
ReplyDeleteSUCH a good idea!
ReplyDeleteWhen I found out I was pregnant, I started a journal to write to The Short One. I wrote about being pregnant and the things we did to get ready for his arrival. I'll give it to him when he's older, it'll be a bit of insight into what our lives were like before he came along.
So stealing this idea. Love.
ReplyDeleteBest.Dad.Ever.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lucky girl. I love that the teachers held this with them all through her schooling and I bet it thrilled them to be asked and to participate in such a thoughtful idea.
Awww
ReplyDeleteLove this!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! EmEyeKay, love your idea too!
ReplyDeleteHas that Dad signed up to be cloned?
ReplyDeleteWhat a truly special gift! *notes it's summer allergy time*
ReplyDeleteIn a similar vein, a friend of mine who remained close to his ex-boyfriend's kids after their break-up spent an entire year working on a birthday gift for the daughter: he solicited everyone he knew to write an entry in a book giving her advice on some aspect of life. (My contribution was the correct usage of apostrophes,lol.) I don't think that she fully appreciated it when he first gave it to her, but a year later he died suddenly of brain cancer. She was devastated by his death but he left her a wonderful labor of love that she can always cherish.
I have to admit I have tears in my eyes right now.. *cat, get off my lap, I'm allergic suddenly!*
ReplyDeleteand I'm in tears....so sweet and loving, what a dad..
ReplyDelete@Connie151
ReplyDeleteDamn it, Connie! I finally stopped crying from the first post! What a sweet and thoughtful gesture, and I'm so sorry for your loss. He sounded like an amazing man
Dammit! That was sweet.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty fantastic -- what an amazing father.
ReplyDeleteI've also heard of idea that you can open an email address for their kid before birth. Then you can write emails, attach pictures, etc. on special days and random days. Then, when the child turns 18, or graduates high school, or whatever special date is chosen, you can give the child the email and password and they can read all the things you wrote over the years.
I thought it was a pretty cool idea because my handwriting is atrocious and I type way faster than I write. It's not as personal as handwritten stuff, but allows attaching photos and whatnot since I'm also NOT a scrapbooking person. Pretty interesting.
Something’s happening to my face.......it’s all wet! Must be those onions. Loving EmeyeKay and Connie’s stories. My face is really wet now......but in a good way!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Redhead. My writing is crappy too. I will start a journal for my beautiful little niece. *sobs again*
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad my father didn't do this for me, though, because it would be packed with stories about wetting my pants, getting in fights, cheating, and being sent to the principal's office.
ReplyDelete@RedHeadMed -- My husband opened a Gmail account for our daughter as soon as we settled on her name. He's been emailing her things here and there since she was born 21 months ago. He's suggested I email her letters I write to her on my blog so she can have those to read, too. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, this post about the book made me cry. I'm such a sap now.
@Connie151 -- I'm so sorry for your loss, but what an amazing gift he left behind.
@RedHeadMed -- My husband opened a Gmail account for our daughter as soon as we settled on her name. He's been emailing her things here and there since she was born 21 months ago. He's suggested I email her letters I write to her on my blog so she can have those to read, too. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, this post about the book made me cry. I'm such a sap now.
@Connie151 -- I'm so sorry for your loss, but what an amazing gift he left behind.
I have to share this great idea to some of you parents out there:
ReplyDeleteThere is a man that lives in my community. He is a businessman, a councilman, kids baseball coach and he is EASY on the eyes, if you know what I mean. I was reading a story about him in our local newsletter, and it said that every year he writes a personalized children's book for his boys, has it illustrated, and give it to them as gifts every single Christmas. *swoon*
Aww that's sweet! Here's another idea: when my niece and nephew were born about 5 and 7 years ago, I opened gmail accounts in their name, the older one already uses his, the younger one...she has a screw loose and is still interested in terrorizing the living room. She's like the Hulk on Acid and PCP. I gave the idea to my friend, who just had his daughter about 4 months ago and he took it a step further. The day she was born, he opened a gmail account under her name and everyday he adds a paragraph of her day with him and a photo and them emails it back to the account. He was hoping to go until 18, but I think he has settled on 10. I can't wait to see her face that day when he does hand it over.
ReplyDeleteSo sweet, what a great dad.
ReplyDeleteI see the email idea is popular! Stupid Blogger not updating comments...
ReplyDeleteI should add, at 22, my kid is getting a bill. Of everything. I might draw colorful smiley faces on the receipts or something. You know, not to be a total dick.
I work at an elementary school and one of the mom's is doing the exact same thing. She had her daughter's pre-school teacher and the aide write something in the Seuss book. The aide said she cried while filling it out so yeah, it means a lot to the teachers too!
ReplyDeleteAww, what a great dad! Mine wouldn't have thought to do anyting like that in a squillion years.
ReplyDelete*sniff* Damn allergies... *sniff* Can we clone some of these really great dads? We could use a lot more terrific people in the world, and the women I know would be very happy to have access to some really spiffy guys...
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the most special gifts I have ever heard of. What an amazing Dad.
ReplyDeleteI have tears in my eyes--I'm not too proud to admit it. :) How wonderful!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter just finished kindergarten yesterday. What a wonderful idea! I am going to do something similar for her.
ReplyDeleteThis is great!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest daughter has scrapbooks of her three baby showers we were thown before her birth. I kept a detailed journal once we learned we were pregnant until I ran out of pages awhile after she was born and then started saving info and recollections on a family blog. Our second child, a daughter, too, got the same journal keeping from conception to past birth and onto the blog after that.
However, I started creating nice (real gold) charm bracelets for both our girls to give to them when they either turn 18 or maybe we'll wait until they are 21. Every year my husband and I purchase a special charm for each bracelet to represent something memorable from the previous year in their life. One year it was a gold garbarge truck charm for my oldest because she was obsessed with garbage trucks that year (and ambulances which she called nee-nahs). I think they'll both love them when they get them years from now, and will enjoy sharing the meanings behind each charm on the bracelets when people ask about them. Additionally, they each have birth certificate charms with all the specifics of their birth: full name, date, weight and length to start them off!
I have a 2 year old and I am going to copy this idea and the email idea.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I am pretty awesome when it comes to filling out his 3 baby books (all gifts, I couldn't decide on which one I liked best...so I am using all three) and everyday I write on the calender what we did, new words he said, when he counted to 10, etc.
but I love the secret book and secret email.
awesome. i actually did tear up, and was just expecting to read something "sweet".
ReplyDeleteI'm shallow and mercenary. I'd rather have the car.
ReplyDeleteKidding!
Aw, I'm in tears. Beautiful!
ReplyDelete"My early teachers mention my "Pigtails and giggles," while my high school teachers mention my "Wit and sharp thinking.." But they all mention my humor and love for life."
ReplyDeleteWell, um, what the hell were they supposed to say? Poor bastards, put on the spot like that. Did any of them apologise for their failure to teach you the proper use of capital letters or quotation marks?
This reminds me of how I started writing letters to my twins before they were born! I'm going to do this for them too, since this is wonderful and my favorite Dr. Seuss book.
ReplyDeleteA very original, clever and heartfelt gift. Way better than a car! Amazing that so many people were able to keep the secret for so many years. Really impressive.
ReplyDeleteMy mom gave me that book for my college graduation. Without the extras, though. It's a great one.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletea couple of years ago, on my 18th birthday, my mom gave me my Nana's old shopper bag, that i always used to play dress up with when i was younger. inside it was photos, cards, clothes, my 1st pair of shoes, basically my childhood. i remember sitting with her as we went through it, getting emotional at the touching stuff and laughing at the silly thing i had forgotten. it meant so much to me that for the past 18 years she had been collecting things to put in this bag, things that wernt even important but could evoke a memory on sight.
ReplyDeleteit is so much more special now, as she passed away last year, and ive still not been able to look through it.
im a longtime lurker, first time poster and this story really touched me.
@kirst stevo
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful thing your mother did for you. Thank you for sharing, and I think you have inspired me to do this for my little nuggets too :)
My daughter graduated today and that is the story the principal got up and read. What an amazing dad.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of parents writing in the book for each year but this is great as well. Lots of sweet stories and creative types on this blog.
ReplyDelete