“Family is not an important thing; it is everything,” are the wise words of Michael J. Fox.

The famous Walt Disney once said, “A man should never neglect his family for business.”

My good friend Peter Lim put these words into action recently, but not without challenge.

Currently, this email is coming to you from the Men’s Leadership Summit at Stanwell Tops.

Yes, we are having a good time at the Men’s Summit, but Pete Lim, my fellow Dads4Kids Board Member and Summit stalwart, is not here with us. Peter has not missed a Men’s Leadership Summit for 10 years. Why miss this year? Let me explain.

Peter Lim was going to bring a big contingent from Warrnambool, Victoria, to the Summit.

Some time ago, I rang him to see how he was going, and he told me, “I have some sad news for you, Warwick. I am not coming to the Men’s Summit.”

He continued, “You see, my son has made the State under-16s soccer team, and the weeklong National Championships are on in Perth, WA, at the time of the Summit. I am going with my wife to support him and cheer him on!”

My words were immediate: “Peter, you and your wife have chosen wisely. This is a milestone for your son. You and your wife can get away and have a break together, and you can support your son. Congratulations! You will kick two family goals at the same time.”

Peter Lim is a very popular osteopath with a busy medical practice. Not only that, but Peter and Elizabeth, his wife, have 11 children and practice homeschooling. As you can imagine, a break is probably desperately needed.

Watch Peter Lim talk about his family and the many challenges and joys of being a Dad in this revealing 3-minute video below.

Last year, I had my own family challenge, but in a different way. I have five children: four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 43 to 31, with the youngest being my princess. My family knew my 70^th birthday was coming up on 12 August, so they asked, “Dad, what do you want for your birthday?”

My answer was quick and simple: “Play music with my family one more time and hear you play your own music one more time as well.”

You see, we have toured Australia and the world as a family band, and five out of the seven albums I have recorded were either entirely with my family (two of them), or in part with my family along with other musicians.  The last time we played music as a family was 13 years ago.

Growing up in a broken home in my early years brought great sadness into my life, and I was determined not to inflict such sadness on my own children.

I had a great father and a wonderful mother, but they just could not get along. I got so depressed that I contemplated suicide. Thankfully, it was a momentary thought, but such feelings spurred me on in my belief and pursuit of Michael J. Fox’s wise words, “Family is not an important thing; it is everything.”

Shared Passion

Playing music with your family is a privilege that has to be treated with great care. It reminds me of a Chinese proverb, “Govern a family with great care as you would cook a small fish – very gently.”

We toured, performed and recorded music as a family from 1990 – 2011. Every year for over a decade, we had the ‘last tour’ or the ‘last performance’, because you ‘have to allow your family to grow’ and do different things as a father. The miracle was that we still continued to play together all that time.

When your children are young, you can tell your children what they are going to do. When your children become teenagers, you have to ask their permission and opinion about combined family activities. Hence the above Chinese proverb.

Thankfully, music was in our blood and in our hearts, but better still, we also had a lot of love in our family thanks to my wife. That’s what held us together.

Peter Lim is right. You must put family first and be there for them. It will pay off in the end.

Check out the below video invite to the party if you don’t believe me.

Lovework

Talk to your family and find out what they want to do.

We all need to heed Michael J. Fox’s wisdom: “Family is not an important thing; it is everything.”

You must put your family first and be there for them. So that when you hit 70, you will have a family to celebrate with.

Yours for Happy Families,
Warwick Marsh

PS: Good news – my 70^th Birthday Celebration Concert, on 24 August at the Sorrento Room, Wollongong, New South Wales, is now open to the general public. The music at my Birthday Celebration Concert will span the decades from the ’70s right up to the present day. From the smooth RnB sound of Israel Marsh singing an original love song called, ‘I Need Ya’, which he made popular in his 2016 music video. Israel will also sing ‘Welcome to the Family’, among others. Melodie Marsh will feature a song called ‘Love’s Too Big’ from her recent album, as heard on Triple J Unearthed. Levi Marsh will sing the indie pop-rock title track from the Marsh boys’ 2011 album called ‘Climbing Up Forever’.

The Marshes will play several tracks from their various albums, including their Indigenous tribute roots/reggae song called ‘Unity’ featuring Levi Marsh on didgeridoo. Another track that the Marshes will feature on the night is their blistering blues rock number called ‘Nick of Time’, from their first ‘Straight from the Heart’ album released in 1996.

Tickets for dinner and the show can be purchased online by clicking this link.