Being godfather is good cause to celebrate

OH TO be a godfather! Fair dinkum, when I was asked and told to get a present, I thought to myself, what would that lovely little baby want with a horse’s head?

That’s all I knew about godfather pressies! Luckily horses heads were hard to come by, so I bought a… I can’t remember actually, I’m sure it was terrific, umm, I think it was a bar account in Flinders east.

OK, she was a week old, but she’d use it in 18 years.

Being the model godfather, her dad and I used it and told her how good it was, and the way we were speaking when we got home, the bub could understand every word.

Though mum had a different opinion, dunno why, and we were both in the contents of more than a dozen nappies!

Another responsibility is imparting wisdom, so when she was one, I gave her a pack of incense and the complete works of the Dalai Lama. Not bad, eh?

Though mum looked at me and said, “I’m surprised you didn’t buy her a counter lunch at the Aussie”.

I wasn’t brave enough to say I was going to but the birthday was a Monday.

Another absolute no-no is to forget the birthday date, and believe me I never will!

I’m clever, have a great memory and can ring up aunty every year.

Twelve years ago yesterday with her mum and dad, we sat outside the Mater on the balcony, with a takeaway degustation dinner from Michelle’s and drank fine wine for the birth of Chelsea Williams … to be honest dad and godfather did the wine thing, and it seems to have happened ever since.

It is an absolute honour to be a godfather, hopeless as I may be, she’s a wonderful young lady and I’ll always be there for her, should she need it.

Having said that, not sure about the 18th birthday though, I think dad and I will be banned, after all we’ll be in our 50s by then.

Ah yes, and I’ll certainly teach her never to fib too.

Chelsea begins big school next year, and I’ve checked the list of responsibilities, and luckily for me, and certainly her, helping with homework is not on it.

This weekend brings the Seafood and Jazz Festival to the maritime park near the Doug Tarca memorial, and we will be there for a party.

I love this idea with the council, we used to do them years ago and at many venues, and the best was at Picnic Bay! We had the trawler arrive at the end of the jetty, we’d take an Esky up on the truck, fill it with prawns and bugs and off we went.

What I loved also, was the kids could see how the trawlermen operated, the sorting tray, the cooking, and the mending of the nets, or as my dear trawlerman mate Neil Thomson would always say, sewing holes together.

We have terrific celebrations through the year in our paradise, let’s enjoy them.

Happy days.