Wednesday the 8th of March 2017 is a date which we will always remember my son. It is the day the birds stopped singing and the date our home was flooded. It’s hard to explain the feeling of waking up and seeing that your life has changed.

You have a voice
The title of this post may not seem to directly correspond to this. I hope that I can explain it now.
We have a bamboo tree at our home. Since we moved here we have loved watching hundreds of birds build their home in it. We have seen baby birds who have fallen from the tree, we have tried to nurse them, protected them from our dogs and cats, and we have hurt every time we have found one hurt or worse, dead. Your compassion and understanding of this process has always been something I have been proud of. Over 500 birds lost their life on the morning of the flood.
So how does this correspond? You have a voice son, tell people what you think and feel. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts as I am now.

The flood
The strength of the flood was something that I will never forget. The water built up so quickly. It has been hard for me to watch you go through the impact of this. You show constant resilience but I still feel for you today. This type of change is hard to deal with. To be woken up in the middle of the night in an event like this brings change into your world so quickly. How to deal with this is hard.
Did this moment change our life? Yes, it did. The water entered our home and brought uncertainty with it. You don’t always understand the security that a home brings until your foundations are shaken. There is a sense of loss for us. We had been redecorating our home, preparing for the arrival of your brother who we will meet any day soon. Our dreams of bringing him to our home and having everything ready for him is no longer a reality. But we can give him our love which will show him more security than any possession we have.
The flood brought change and change isn’t always easy to deal with.

Moving on
Something that I have learnt son is to move on. Seeing the positive in situations like this can be hard but look for it, and hold onto it. Our positive is that we are ok. I am grateful for this. Focus your thoughts, think about what you want to achieve. Be aware of everyone in your family, and others around you. Think about how they are feeling and be there for them.
Wednesday the 8th of March 2017 will always be the time that the birds stopped singing. It was a massive loss, so many birds lost their life. Today our trees are still silent and I can’t wait to see the life back in them. In our culture we are one with the earth, she is part of our whakapapa (genealogy). The world that surrounds us deserves our respect, we are kaitiaki (guardians).
I know this post is all over the place my son, but so is my head and my heart. Resilience is to cope with stress and hardship. I am hurt, but I will cope and move on!
Rangiātea is the spiritual homeland for Māori. Although much might be lost, the seeds of Rangiātea will remain.
I love you son
Papa
Please follow our blog or join our mailing list. Our next post will give information on everything we have learnt from this and how to get through a natural disaster!
8 things you need to know about getting your family through a natural disaster
11 Comments
Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks for stopping by Heather.
Sorry to hear of this at a time that you didn’t need to have it happen. Good look on soon arrival of another life into this world. Look forward to the next post.
Hi Chris. Thank you for taking the time to read our post. Still waiting for our next life to arrive. Can’t wait.
This is really neat. The whole concept. You are doing a great job and your son will be proud!
Thank you Julia. Appreciate that you’ve taken the time to stop in.
I could really feel the sorrow and pain you felt when you wrote this. I can tell you are someone who feels deeply. Never change. You are wonderful
Thank you Natasha, really appreciate you stopping by and leaving such wonderful words on our site! Thank you
Thank you for sharing, I couldn’t imagine how this must have felt for you. The title alone is very deep and reading this I could feel the emotion in your words. A great writer indeed. Wish you the best
A beautiful outpouring of love and recovery. What you give to your son through the enlightenment of dealing with change is priceless. Thank you so much for sharing!
My goodness I could never imagine! This was so beautifully written. And I love this blog to your son