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

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8 things you need to know about getting your family through a natural disaster