Dear Ivy,

My mom gave me a handwritten letter on the day she drove me to college that meant so much to me. It talked about how they'd chosen my name, a little about my childhood, and how very proud they were of me. This letter was part of my inspiration for journaling. The other part came from my love of sappy books, namely when I read Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson.

I just started a journal of letters for Ivy. My plan is to write to tell her about details of our family, my childhood, mom and dad's story (e.g., how we met, proposal story, fun dates, etc.), and moments and funny stories we want to remember about her growing up. I want this to be a very special keepsake that I give her on her graduation or wedding day. It's like me to have great ideas and not keep up with them, so please remind me to write!