Fathers and sandcastles

The
Catholic Weekly
Online

Sydney
8 February 2004

First day fun? It’s all smiles at All Hallows

Needy hit by Christmas credit card crisis

Rice to feed needy

Tick for Govt ‘report card’

Rome youth forum

‘Holy lawyers’

Young help elderly priests

Pregnant pause: Ready-made friends waiting for our baby

Orchestra performs at violinist funeral Mass

HSC at St Edmund’s

Stamps can help missions

Editorial: Suffer the children

Letters: HSC results

Conversation: Fr Arthur Bridge, patron of the arts - Parish priest who likes to face the music

Fathers and sandcastles

Tribute to ‘the Chief’

Parish Profile: A gifted beginning ...

Life in a seminary

Law challenged in many ways: bishop

Kicking goals with kids

Fathers and sandcastles

By Joan Fitzmaurice

The time between Christmas and New Year is always special for us. Each year we take off for a different destination and we never quite make up our minds where it will be until November.

Usually we are drawn to the ocean, but sometimes we head for the city and enjoy rediscovering all that Sydney has to offer, particularly around the harbour.

This year we found ourselves on the south coast at Austinmer, not far from Wollongong, and had five great days near the sea.

The area around the beach had not changed that much since I was a child and swam in the surf and the rock pool at the southern end of the beach. What had changed was the number of people of different nationalities who were there with their families and friends. Happy, laughing groups of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and children with their cousins enjoying a perfect day in this beautiful spot.

Some things remain the same, however, and are repeated generation after generation. I am pleased to report that fathers are still building castles. There they were, men with a mission, building the best castle they could with the assistance that only small children can give.

Sometimes disaster struck and an unexpected wave swamped the fortress so carefully built by dad and his helpers, leaving a sad watery mound where tall proud turrets once stood. Little ones ran away crying and dads scrambled to rescue buckets, spades and clothing left in disarray around the now forlorn castle.

What happened next is what always happens after such a disaster. Fathers dig deep and start to rebuild. Children slowly return and seeing the determination and dedication of their fathers rejoin the working party.

The original castle is no more but in its place stands an even better stronger castle, built by men who love their children and are prepared to start again.