Mental Health Support

Caring for your mental health can start with something as simple as picking up a fishing rod. For me, that small step became a way to find hope again.

During the pandemic, I lost my job and was raising my son on my own. I felt lost. I didn’t know what to do next, or even how to face the world.

At the same time, I was losing my grandfather, my Nunu, to dementia. In the middle of it all, I realised I’d been unhappy for so long that I needed to find my way back to something that brought me joy.

My mind kept returning to my childhood. The good old days, taking a day off school and heading out at 4 am to go fishing with Nunu. Some of the happiest moments of my life were spent beside him on Port Phillip Bay. The sunrises, the dolphins and seals, the excitement of never knowing what we might catch. It wasn’t just about the fish. It was about being there, together.

Then as I grew older; There wasn’t anyone to take me fishing anymore, so I decided to teach myself. I spent countless hours watching fishing videos and learning how to set up rigs. I couldn’t wait to get out there, try what I’d learned, and share it with my boy.

But I didn’t have a boat. Some days, I didn’t even have enough fuel to get to the saltwater. So, I started closer to home and taught myself to fish freshwater. One by one, I began ticking fish off my bucket list.

My son fell in love with fishing too. He was especially fascinated by identifying the different species. Watching his curiosity grow gave me something to look forward to, and something we could share.

Fishing didn’t take away the grief or make every hard day easy. But it gave me space to breathe, a reason to get outside, and a way to reconnect with a part of myself I thought I’d lost.

Somewhere in the sorrow of losing Nunu, I found the strength to carry on. Now, I get to pass a little of what he gave me on to my son, creating new memories from the love at the heart of the old ones.

What started with Nunu and me is now something my boy and I share. And I hope those memories will live on long after I do.