On a rainy (everything important happens in the rain) Saturday 23rd August at 10.05am our lives became even more beautiful and Fletcher Paul Hannay popped out to say hi!
First things first.. Sarah, you are my superhero! I’ve always had and i’m sure lots of new dads say this but you have a new found respect for mothers, women, mother nature and anything female. There’s a theory behind the strength and camaraderie that women have with each other and its to do with how we’ve evolved and have been brought up over centuries. Men have always been taught and expected to go out alone, become a man, hide our emotions, provide and not nurture whilst women have been working together, supporting each other and nurturing and educating our children. This was truly evident to me when Sarah, her mom, (Mirls) and her superstar sister Danni as well as the wonderful Midwives banded together and cheered each other on for the big push! What a team! Sarah actually stopped at half time and apologised for not birthing fast enough! True story bro!
But where was Cal you might ask? I surely was there for this life changing experience in the thick of it all in the shower (fully clothed) and i’m fairly certain i’m now a certified expert masseuse. (5 hours non-stop and these thumbs have biceps!) Truly magic!
There i go getting side tracked again…… Back on topic. This is a letter for my little Fletch-Buddy in the hopes that one day you’ll read this…. Yes i was crying non-stop for hours, Yes I was dizzy, amazed, in awe and and now and expert masseuse. No i didn’t pass out, Yes i got kicked out of the hospital after midnight multiple times and yes i still bawl my eyes out staring at you sleeping and watching you yawn. (Don’t ask but babies yawing folds me like Origami)
I’ll keep it short and sweet because as we grow with you Fletcher we’re gonna learn new things about you as well as life in general, then maybe one day decode the meaning of life and womens emotions. OK we’ll start with life first. hahaaa.
Dear Fletcher, Dad here,
Before you go on growing up and knowing it all (I was the same), stop to play for a while, stop and listen for a bit, stop to learn all there is to learn and don’t forget to laugh – never stop laughing! You can grow up and we’ll help you with that, but never stop growing. You’ll make mistakes and learn from them but dont be scared to try, for fear of failing. That gets you places my little man!
When you make goals, aim high and work hard to get there! Hard work never goes unnoticed or unrewarded. More importantly, enjoy the process. Play outside, run in the grass, practice well and make new friends. True friends are rarer than diamonds.
Love and respect your mum. (She loves you more than you’ll ever imagine), Otherwise you’ll have me to answer to. When you hold our hands – squeeze tight. We’ll let go eventually (I suppose you’ll get too old to hold hands) but remember we’re always here for a hug.
Lastly for now…. I can’t guarantee that we won’t embarrass you in front of your girlfriends….
Luv, Mum and Dad
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
itwasloveatfirstfight 