Last weekend, my daughter Carly and I enjoyed a “magic moment” together.

“What’s a magic moment?” you ask? For me, it’s a special experience with someone close to me that I will remember for the rest of my life.

A magic moment can be big, like our family vacation last summer in Europe. We visited Germany, Austria, and France. It was a truly special time for our family.

But it doesn’t have to be big. My oldest daughter Abby and I once enjoyed a snack together in our living room at 2:00 in the morning. Abby’s eyes light up every time she tells the story of how I woke her up that night for our special time together.

In case you don’t know this about me already, I am a big college football fan. And I’m an even bigger fan of University of Michigan Wolverines. Last Saturday, Carly and I traveled to South Bend, Indiana for the Michigan-Notre Dame game.

If you follow college football, you know that Notre Dame won the game. If you follow closely, you may know that Carly and I sat in the pouring rain for much of the second half. We couldn’t have gotten more wet had we jumped into a swimming pool with our clothes on!

And yet, the experience was grand. Carly and I will never forget the rainy drive to and from South Bend. We’ll remember stopping at Applebee’s for lunch, and eating licorice and Sour Patches in the rain at the game.

Oh sure, we’ll remember the disappointing loss, too. But I’m much better today about not allowing the outcome of the game to determine whether or not I have fun. Carly didn’t really care about the game, anyway.

For her, the day was about creating a magic moment with her Daddy. And for me, it was about creating a magic moment with my daughter.

Moral: Create and enjoy magic moments with the important people in your life.