As new parents, we’re often reminded that our children are always observing us. Most of us take this advice to heart, making conscious efforts to improve our behavior even before the baby arrives. We strive for healthier eating habits, drive more cautiously, and practice our indoor voices. However, as kids grow, their perceptions can be both surprising and difficult to assess. One moment you find your daughter descending the stairs in a dress that’s far too revealing, claiming it’s yours. The next, your son shouts an unexpected curse during a sports game—where did that come from?
Once they reach their teenage years, we let our guards down a bit, sharing experiences that we all enjoy. It’s a far cry from the days when we pretended to enjoy creating Play-Doh pizzas. Now, we can binge-watch shows together as a family, catching up on the series we missed while juggling complicated carpools. I often remember those chaotic car rides with my daughter, Mira, and her friends.
One show that brought us together was the acclaimed Mad Men, during which I developed, shall we say, a notable admiration for the actor Jon Hamm. My sister jokes that I was “obsessed,” but I’d argue that it was simply admiration. As we watched, Jon Hamm’s name inevitably became a topic of conversation at the dinner table.
The idea of a “hall pass” existed long before it was popularized in pop culture. My friends and I would laugh about which celebrities our partners might allow us to pursue. For me, there was only one name: Jon Hamm. Strangely enough, my kids were surprisingly supportive of this notion, agreeing that if anything ever happened to their dad, Mr. Hamm would be a fitting alternative.
Eventually, I had the pleasure of meeting the charming Jon Hamm at a charity event for Stand Up to Cancer in Los Angeles, which my husband was attending. Usually, I’m a supportive spouse at these events, genuinely interested in my husband’s work. That night was emotional and entertaining. Following the main event, we found ourselves at the after-party. My husband later joked that I spotted Jon like a heat-seeking missile, honed in on him across the room.
Jon exceeded all expectations, making me feel like I was the only person there. We held hands upon introduction, posed for photos with him wrapping his arm around me, and shared an intense conversation about our experiences with cancer and loss. For those few minutes, it felt like we were the only two people in the room. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of fighting cancer together.
When I returned home with my husband, I excitedly shared the story of my encounter with the kids. I hoped they took away the idea of supporting important causes, especially if someone they admire shares that commitment. To learn more about supporting such causes, you might explore this article on our blog about couples’ fertility journeys.
The following year, our family joined my husband on another business trip—this time to London. Upon landing, my teenage daughter, Mira, excitedly informed me that Ansel Elgort, the star from The Fault in Our Stars and Baby Driver (alongside Jon Hamm), was in town!
Despite a carefully planned itinerary, I decided to deviate from our schedule after receiving a tip from a doorman. Driven by excitement and a bit of jet lag, we rushed through London’s streets to catch a glimpse of Ansel, who was just as gracious and kind as I had hoped.
The power of social media to connect us with celebrities, even in a foreign city, astounds me. However, the most memorable part of that trip was the joy on my daughter’s face. While the day didn’t impart lessons about culture or health, it taught us perhaps the most vital lesson of all: the happiness of our children matters above everything else.
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