An Open Letter to my Daughter on her First Birthday
Posted on July 02, 2004
Frankie, I can't believe it's already been a year since you first came into our lives. I remember the details of that day well but what sticks in my mind most was the walk from the hospital and the train ride home.
You were the second last of eight babies born that day so I was able to work out a deal with the nursing staff to let me stay with you a bit after visiting hours finished. An hour later a nurse came and took you away, took you mother to her bed and brought her a well deserved meal as I led myself out into the darkened hospital hallway and out the back door. During the walk from the hospital to the train station I felt something change inside of me and it wasn't just the proud glow of being a father. In the narrow (non existent) side walk I saw a greater threat from on coming cars, in the smokers around the station I saw something I needed to protect you from, and in the teenage girl waiting on the platform I no longer saw just a person but as someone's daughter. From that point on the the way I thought about the world changed. A quote from U2's Bono best describes the way I feel.
"People thought that having children would chill me out. It made me angrier. You think about the world they are inheriting and the way things are, and it makes me angry. When I saw my child being born, you have a feeling you would do anything to protect that life. It�s a dangerous feeling, but one you can put to use by getting politically active and not lying down."
So I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks for the wake up call. Happy Birthday, love Papa.
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