My Daughter Katy (4th daughter) was married to Tana Kiak
last Saturday. (24th of January 2015) A Beautiful, lovely wedding. Here is my speech
(Father of the Bride) a tribute to them.
Introduction
Thank you Jess (MC)
Before I start we must remember those who were here before
us. (Koori People)
We also must remember our people those who have made this
country great and who have made us as we are.
We remember especially Katy’s grandparents Harry, Bill, (Step
Grandparent) Alice and Jimmy.
All of these people are here because of you, there spirit
and being resides among and within you.
(Pause)
We also should acknowledge Katy's grandmother Mary who is here tonight with Aunty Margaret. mary is a special member of our family and we love her dearly.
We also should acknowledge Katy's grandmother Mary who is here tonight with Aunty Margaret. mary is a special member of our family and we love her dearly.
Halo ol meri na mon na pikanni.
Gut welkam long wedding belong na Katy and Tana.
Goodfella long lookum yotopella lepan na Lyn, na Gwenda, na
Jonathon, na family.
Long Papua New
Guinea.
Long beautiful Kyneton.
Hannamash long lookum yoopla.
(Translation-Loose)
Hello Ladies, Gentlemen, and children welcome to Katy’s and
TK’s wedding, in beautiful Kyneton.
Have a good time.
A daughter is a wonderful thing for a father! The soft
gentle side of creation greets you in form and thought and makes you think,
this is how creation was supposed to be. The creator God must be
a woman to make things thus, this is my Daughters.
But Katy backs up this gentle side up with great strength and
underlying steel for she is descended from a long line of strong women on both
sides of her family. The Condliffe, Broadways, FitzGerald’s, Cox’s, Healy’s,
Coma’s and Monegeetta’s.
Being the forth daughter traditionally you would think that
she was the protected, closeted one, the pet of the family. But this is not
Katy when I think of her I think of someone who is like the bottom of a
triangle. She is the one who has often held us up and carried us with her
character and strength.
Katy is special in that she thinks of family not in terms of
flesh and blood. No….no much more than this to her family is mystical
and transcends all. This is why she does not see race, religion, colour of
culture. She just see family and loves them as they are.
Person
Katy is caring, empathic, a peacemaker who goes about her
life very quietly and efficiently she is very smooth. There is no fuss, just the
quiet process of achievement and progress.
If Katy was an aeroplane she would often fly under the
radar!
(Repeat)
Not because she cannot reach the highest heights but because
she is often carrying the heaviest loads.
Katy always wanted to be a nurse! My first memories of her
are of her nursing her sisters, neighbours, cabbage patch dolls, friends and
family. In fact anyone or thing that came her way. Her single minded obsession
was to train and to be a nurse.
It has been a privilege afforded to few fathers to work professionally
with one’s daughter. But I have seen her perform in one of the major hospitals
in Melbourne. Her depth of knowledge, expertise and technical knowhow coupled worth
her willingness to go the extra mile is something I will never forget.
It is beautiful to see a great nurse at work and Katy is
certainly one of those.
Katy has always been driven by something further than the
normal. Always her profession was a vehicle for greater things.
She has always wanted to change her world!
To make things better!
Not for her the suburban house with a pot plant out the
front!
No she wanted to make a difference whether that was around
the corner, the next suburb or the other side of the world.
From her early days she travelled extensively to Northern
Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Kenya. Meanwhile honing her skills and gaining
new ones. She started Nurses in Action in Kenya and she is a Nurse in Action.
It is said you can tell a person by her friends!
(Repeat)
If you have a look around at those here tonight you can
easily tell the quality, caring, lovely and great people they are. Which of course
are the very values that Katy espouses. You reflect her passions, cares,
interests, and values.
You are part of her journey many of you since her earliest
years, and you are her story as well.
Tana (TK)
Three years ago Katy travelled to China where TK was studying
and I knew things were getting interesting!
Than TK stopped in Kyneton on completion of his studies and
I knew he had not come to see me! Things were really serious.
If you meet TK you cannot help but like him; quiet, humble,
generous, knowledgeable, enquiring, strong, and caring.
A man who has achieved much through hard work and his own
initiative and efforts.
I, Maureen and our whole family have come to love him and
welcome into our family.
I take this opportunity to say thank you to Lyn and Lepan
and your whole family for participating in in raising such a wonderful partner
for Katy.
Happiness
All any parent wishes is that his children be happy, that is all Maureen and I hope for, that Katy and TK will make each other happy
and have a happy life together.
John Condliffe
Father of the Bride
Speech
24/1/15
Kyneton
Note
This is the abridged/skeletal version of my speech given at
TK and Katy’s wedding, as with any speech it changed and morphed with every
practise and telling.
If you have a funny
or interesting wedding story I would love to hear it!
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