Visiting a newborn

from w
Last night we had the pleasure of visiting friends in the Werribee region to take a woven mat, bundle of kava, and small gifts for a four day old baby boy. In this inter-generational home, usually very neat and quiet, suddenly there are the sounds of a budding Pavarotti demanding attention and piles of baby needs around. When he yelled the seven women in the house leapt to attention to rock, pat, sing to, change or feed the little fellow. What a blessing this little boy will give to the family. Congratulations Kitione and Lutu for your first child and welcome to the bonny lad of over four kilos. The custom last night is called 'vakabogiva' which means four nights after a significant event in the life of a Fijian family. We had prayers and a delicious dinner and the men drank kava and some of us women became nostalgic about other times, a long time ago, when we had the very best moment of our lives when we said hello to a newborn child.