Just Make Memories
This post is excerpted from a letter to my daughter on her 18th birthday
What A Dad Says To His Beloved Daughter On Her 18Th Birthday?
He probably starts off simply by wishing her a Happy Birthday. Simple enough, yeah?
Happy Birthday, sweet girl.
Then, assuming he's anything like your dad, he likely moves on to something nostalgic.
Remember that Saturday morning we went out to get bagels and somehow ended up buying a 40-foot custom RV for a road trip we'd never discussed or even considered until we actually bought the RV… only for Mom to make us return it?
And then, because she's 18, and he can't believe it, he's bound to make a comment about time and how it passes so incredibly fast — you know, the shock of it all…
How did little you get to big you so fast? How is it even possible that you're 18 today?
Having checked those boxes, the time has come for him to get down to business and say something of real value. He'll think about it. Likely he already has. And when he finally decides what he wants to say, he'll jump right into a topic he's discussed with her many times: making memories.
He'll begin by reminding her of the immense importance of making memories. He'll wax philosophical by telling her that though monotony collapses time, novelty unfolds it, creating new experiences that lengthen our perception of our lives.
Then realizing he may be a little out of his depth on the true psychological value of making memories, he'll be tempted to share a quote from the great psychologist, William James, who wrote about the curious warping of psychological time in his 1890 epic, Principles of Psychology.
But, before pulling the trigger and quoting James, he'll realize that he doesn't need the James quote to drive home his point. He'll also realize it's not nice to send his daughter a century-old boring quote on her birthday, to say nothing of the fact that he knows she won't read it.
Thinking better of it, he'll ultimately decide not to include the quote. Having found his footing and adjusted himself to the task at hand, he will finally begin...
Dear 18-Year Old (name withheld for privacy reasons, obviously)
Beyond imparting to you the eternal wisdom of Caractacus Potts perfectly, beautifully optimistic words — it will, it will — from our beloved Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (of course) — and the loving warmth of words I've repeated over and over to you hundreds of times over the years — I love you more today than I did even yesterday — I’ve also always told you that as life marches along the one thing that becomes clearer with each passing year, even as much of the rest fades into irrelevance, is the importance and significance of making memories.
And because making memories is one of those simple but tricky things that takes a lifetime to understand and fully appreciate, my plan all along was to repeat it over and over enough times — make memories... make memories... make memories... — and just hope beyond hope that it would stick. That along the way you’d just make memories today and ask questions later.
I know that you have, I love that you have, and I’m encouraging to keep on keepin' on. Keep making those memories and just trust that I’ve looked into it and found that making memories is one of the single highest ROI investments you can possibly make.
I LOVE YOU 18 TIMES more today than I even knew was possible just yesterday.
Happy Birthday my love…
Dad