Happy 21st Birthday Finn Henson Collier

21 years ago Finn Henson Collier was born. We had just entered the New Millennium. 

I had talked Georgie into having a home birth and we gave it our best shot, even down to the big swimming pool that we had set up inside our house in Hawthorn. It wasn’t to be. Finn was born on a Saturday night at The Valley Private Hospital.

You never really learn how to be the ideal father. You’d think that you would learn from your past mistakes but I never seem to. 

Each of your children are unique and have their very own idiosyncrasies and Finn certainly has his fair share of those.

Paul and Allissa were born 2 decades before Finn so he sort of grew up as an only child. He’s read so many books thanks to Georgie’s hard work when he was really young. His vocabulary is so damn good that I get bloody jealous at times. At one point it looked like he might become a writer. Then he started drawing. I loved the drawings he did when he was about 13. 

He’s still searching for his direction in life. Don’t we all? He’s quirky, intelligent in his own unique way, he’s as stubborn as they come,  he’s somewhat cynical but I think I’m responsible for that because I told him to question things and not believe stuff that he couldn’t prove for himself and he certainly won’t take any bullshit from me. He understands me a bit too well and calls me “The Boss” or just “Boss”, I don’t know what I’d do if he called me Dad.

He’s 21 years old now and still finding his way in this complex and ever changing world that will continue to evolve, as will he (and hopefully as will I).

I’m sure I could have done a better job as his father but I’m also happy with some of the influences I’ve had on his life. I feel confident that we will be really good friends for a long time to come, be compassionate towards each other when needed, sometimes share our secrets, give each other loads of (often unwanted) advice and make each other laugh lots like we both did on our drives years ago we made up “unrepeatable” lyrics to ditties and sang them with gay abandon. 

I look forward to watching his life unfold and I just hope that I can be a good Dad and confidante as each new day dawns.