Happy 4th Birthday and Merry Christmas Ariya Starr

10.26pm December 25th 2019 Happy Fourth Birthday, My Beautiful Little Girl.

At 10.26 i light a candle for you to celebrate the moment your light came into this world. It shines bright and strong, It shines out into the dark, a beacon amongst the stars, guiding you home with love and kindness, to us, your family and me, your daddy.

we all love you very much Ariya Starr, we all miss you, we all think of you on this your special day.  We will never give up on you, and we know that one day we will all be together again.

It's important to me that one day you know this, one day you will be old enough to understand and i hope you will look back on these pages and know the truth.

Happy Birthday Ariya and Merry Christmas

Love Always

X

Your Daddy

Brown paper packages tied up with strings.

Merry Christmas my dear sweet Ariya Starr. 

I'm so sorry i haven't posted recently, this time of year is the busiest for a super Chef like your daddy, but that doesn't mean i have forgotten you, oh no. You are never far from my thoughts especially as we get closer to your special day. we are all sending our love and it seems like Santa has dropped off something for you a little bit early, no doubt its because you have been a super, mega, wonderful girl this year. 

These are a few of my favourite things. 

There will always be a present for you under our tree Ariya, No matter where you are in this big wide world, you will always be welcome, always be thought of, and always be loved. there's more to come, watch this space.

All my love

x

Your Daddy

Where in the world has your daddy been?

Answer: Daddy has been super busy, he has done so many wonderful things over the last month or so and it has been really hard to find the time to sit down and edit everything for you Ariya. So first of my apologies, But daddy is doing so very well. below is just a taste of all the things i have been getting up to.

First off I ran the Another Half marathon

So last time i ran the Edinburgh Marathon to give something back to the people who helped me in my time of greatest need, This Half Marathon was for me, for my own self-esteem, for my own well being, and most important of all to continue the confidence and positive physical attributes i have cultivated over the last few years. I smashed it! Finished in just under 2 hours, was aiming for 1.45, but it was so very hot that day it really took it out of me. It was a very good day.

Medal, Medal, Medal, and My Running Jersy.

Next up was a very special trip to Switzerland to attend a Buddhist Retreat hosted by Stephan Bachelor and his wife Martine. It was a wonderful experience, a week of silence, meditation, contemplation and some of the best vegetarian and vegan food i have ever tasted. It is the most beautiful and calming place i have ever been.

Interlaken - Buddhist Retreat 

True Beauty

Centred.

After a week of hard concentration, I'm not going to lie it was really hard at times i came away knowing more about myself than i ever dreamed possible, It was an experience like no other and has helped me continue to cultivate the positive mindset and mental awareness that has finally allowed me to thrive and grow. It was a very good week.

Dream Job.

And finally, all my hard work has started to pay off. I started a wonderful new job, a dream job, cooking fresh organic, locally sourced produce in a beautiful kitchen. I'm managing a brigade of chefs and its truly a wonderful thing. It has been a very good month.

A lot to take in i know, I'm still adjusting to it myself. But all this hard work has left me feeling something i don't think I've felt for a very long time. so i will leave you with this thought my dear sweet Ariya.

I am a good person. 

x

Your Daddy

What have i been doing?

Hello dear little one, i hope you're well.

Daddy has been very busy, hard at work these last few months, its the reason i have not been posting as often as i would like, i want to keep you up to date with what's going on for me and how much we all miss and love you.

But enough about the real world i want to share some magic and wonder with you, your daddy is super creative and has been spending his downtime painting up models. A group of mighty sorcerers and magicians, riding atop great Dracolions into battle! 

They're led by a sorceress of unimaginable power and might, always leading the charge, clad in shining silver, riding atop the White Dracoline, They streak across the battle filed like a shooting star! i think you can guess where I'm heading with this, but take a look below.

That's right there led by Ariya Starr, you were the inspiration for this character from the mortal realms, Arriving in a bolt of lighting Ariya Starr and her Pack of Dracolion Riders appear to defend the innocent and punish the wicked! I hope you like them and hopefully, i will have more pretty drawings for you soon. All my love little one.

X

Your Daddy

My Girl.

Miss you Ariya, I know you will make Daddy Proud.

X 

Your Daddy

Your Not Ready....

Daddy is Ready.

And I'm not going to let anyone tell me otherwise.

X

Your Daddy

You Can Do Anything...

This is everything i have been working towards, This is the line i draw under my illness, all the fear, the self-doubt and crippling insecurities are no more. I will never go back to the way i was, i am healthy in body and mind. I raised £405.00 for Health in Mind, To try and give something back to the real heroes, the people who didn't give up on me. the people who do one of the hardest jobs imaginable, The people who helped me come to terms with my problems, face them head-on, accept them for what they were, and leave them behind in a cloud of dust as i charge and change, ever forward always running towards a more positive life. 26.2 miles is just the beginning. All i know, that now, for certain is this.

I HAVE CHANGED

Proud Daddy

I have addressed my problems, i have beaten them, i have made myself strong, i have self-belief determination and joy, i am the person i should have always been, I am someone you can be proud of Ariya, And from this position of strength i can now focus all my attention on getting back to you, I love you Ariya, Be a good girl. 

X

Your Daddy

I Am The Man!

Daddy is the Man! 

More Soon.

X

Your Daddy

My Story

Hello Dear Little One.

Originally from My Just Giving Page: This is my story and why I am running the marathon Ariya, 3 weeks until Daddy is The Man, Three Weeks until there is no more looking back, Three Weeks until I draw a line under the past and look only forward to the future, to you and the next great challenge of my life.

Nearly 3 years ago now I had a complete breakdown. I am not going to lie this will be a hard read for most. It is very important to me that people know the truth about me because bottling things up, not talking about my issues and being afraid of what people might think and being labelled as weak and defective is what caused my problems. I had become a very sick man, and I can say with absolute honesty that without the help and support of mental health professionals I would not be alive today. They helped me to find the root of my problems, accept them, address them and help me create a lasting change in my life. This is my story…...

I have always struggled with my self-esteem, from a young age I was never the sportiest, I was a late bloomer and I never really fitted in with other boys my age, I always saw myself as weak and not good enough. I hid these problems behind a mask, a mask of fake confidence, outlandish behaviour and theatrics, here was Danny the life of the party, the pirate, the rock n roller, a man who could do anything, hell it was the man I wanted to be confident and strong, a person that people both loved and revered, a legend. But the truth was behind the mask was a broken man, a man who felt like he was weak surrounded by strong powerful men looking down on him. a man who could not even get out of bed some days, a man who no matter how hard he tried always felt like he was letting down everyone he loved and held dear. I felt trapped and unable to talk about my fears, scared that those around me would turn on me if they knew the truth. I hid it very well, and to cope I drank.

But then I have always drunk, it was my lifestyle, I was an artist, a poet alive for the weekends, nothing else mattered. But 10 years of pissing it up the wall does a lot of damage to a person. Slowly but surely It creeps up on you like a creature stalking its prey in the night, your unaware of it happening but slowly it becomes part of your life until you don’t even question it at all. That’s how alcohol has affected me, it fuelled my mask and kept me blind to the world’s truths, that I needed help. Towards the end of my breakdown, I was drinking over 100 units a week, I was drinking to forget, to hide the pain, to cope with everything that was spiralling out of control, in that state I just wanted to feel anything, something. It was horrible.

I was not capable of making these connections at the time, but the numerous mental health professionals who have helped me on my journey helped me to see things clearly. That throughout my life depression has played a major factor, that I have never had a stable mood, that I would swing from moments of pure joy and happiness to pits of despair where I would lay in bed all day, I would go for great periods of time not talking to people and then pop back into there lives as if nothing had ever happened. all of this combined with my excess drinking led me down the worst paths a human being can go down. I was like Jekyll and Hyde, thought the day I would pretend everything was ok, and then at night when my loved ones were asleep and out of sight I would break and try and drink away my problems. In the end, I needed someone to tell me how great I was, I needed hero worship. I lied, manipulated and cheated to get what I wanted, in my worst state I was capable of anything all that mattered was my own gratification.

I never wanted to hurt anyone, and my problems do not excuse my actions, I accept full responsibility for everything, but I had become a very sick man, I knew I was in trouble, I knew what I was doing was wrong but everything was spiralling out of control, I was so scared and I did not know who to turn to, to put things right.

In the end, it all fell apart, I lost everything, My house, My partner and my newborn Child. I lost my life.

At my lowest low, I thought about taking my own life and it took an almighty effort from a mental health worker and substance abuse worker to convince me I needed help, help in the way of medication. I resisted because of stigma and pride but Susan, her name was persisted with me, and there was one thing she said that changed everything, “asking for help is not a weakness but the strongest and bravest thing a person can do” without her help I would not be here today, her courage and persistence gave me hope and in turn determination to address my problems head-on. To not be afraid.


I am now medicated for my depression and I will never look back because it has changed my life. The only way I can describe it is like having a dark cloak pulled back from your mind's eye, only now with hinge sight do I see that this cloak of negativity has been there for a long time, perhaps since I was a teenager. It’s like before I was always trying to build positives on quicksand, nothing seemed to stick and I would get depressed and negative with myself, I would blame myself. But now I have a clear mind, a strong foundation with which to build positive after positive on. What’s more, I can feel the positives for what they are, before I could never feel the benefits of exercise or playing sport, of having a job that I love, of working hard for me because I want to. This medication has been my catalyst for change, but it is me who has brought it about. I have changed, my lifestyle is so radically different I have real self-esteem and I will not let anyone take it away from me, and I will never go back to the old me. This is who I am now.
I’m a runner, I run fast and long, 6 miles a day minimum.
I’m a flanker, I play rugby every week, my team gives me confidence and supports me.
I’m a Buddhist, I practice mindfulness, meditation and kindness.
I’m a brilliant Chef, I love working hard because I have a passion for everything I do.
I am strong, stronger than people realise and I will never give up, I have self-belief, self-worth and I am determined to succeed.
I don’t need Alcohol anymore, I have real confidence.
I am in control of my illness, it no longer controls me.
I am proud of who I have become.

The old me could never be any of these things. All of this because one person refused to give up on me, they helped me see the start of the path back to the light, they listened, they did not judge, they gave me hope and for that, I will be forever in their debt.

I am running this marathon to promote good mental health, we all struggle with mental health, that it is not a weakness to ask for help but the bravest and strongest thing a person can do, that people’s problems can be managed, that you can live a better life.

But most of all I am running this race to give something back to the people who helped and supported me in my darkest hour. To show the people who took the time to help me that I will never give up, that I will never stop fighting and that they have helped me make a lasting change in my life. That they made a difference.

To every single beautiful brilliant person who never gave up on me, where ever you are, whatever you may be doing I want you to know I’m doing this for you.

And I’m doing this for me.

See you at the finish line.

A Brave New World.

Hello, Dear little one.

I am so sorry I have not posted anything for you in a while, Daddy has undergone some massive changes in his life and its all been a bit mad lately. I'm off on a grand adventure and it's wonderful, I'm meeting new people seeing new places and working harder than I ever have before, But don't you worry, no matter where I am in this big wide world, no matter how far I go or what I do, you are always in my thoughts, I miss you so much Ariya and I am so very close to becoming a Daddy you can be proud of. 7 weeks until I am the Man! I promise I will have something special for you soon but for now, here's what daddy has been up to at work. In smashing it :) 

Take care little one, be good for mummy.

X

Your Daddy

A New Path

When you run out of paths to run down, just make a new one.

Beautiful day to build a path.

Propper Job. Done.

Spent the last day and a half building a new path for your Nannas allotment. When we put our minds to something, believe in ourselves and work hard there is nothing beyond our reach. Very proud of what I have achieved in the past week, I promise you, one day you will walk with daddy down this path and sit with nana and grandad in the sun. All my love little one, Daddy is better than ever.

X

Your Daddy

15 Weeks untl the real fight begins, 15 Weels until i am out of the shadow.

Hello dear little one.

Sorry, I have not posted lately but I have been super busy. You see in 15 weeks daddy is running his marathon so he has been training like mad, I have also been busy working hard and getting things ready for my real goal and my real fight. You! In 15 weeks I will have become the Daddy you can be proud of, In 15 weeks I will be coming out of the shadows! just you wait and see the future is bright indeed. More soon I promise, so watch this space.

This song is a message to everyone who gave up on me, who has ever doubted me, im coming back,  stronger than ever. Nothing will stop me Ariya, Im not dead yet, Daddy has changed and he will never go back to his old self. All my love.

X

 Your Daddy

New Beginnings

“A goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.” Joe Vitale

This is where the fun begins. Its a new begining.

More soon little one.

X

Your Daddy

New Year, New Adventures, Renewed Hope

Happy New Year my dear sweet Ariya Starr.

I thought it would be nice to start the new year by showing you what we all got up to over the festive period, We all dressed up as Christmas elves and your Nana and Grandad were Mr & Mrs Clause! even your Great Grandad and Nana got in on the act. we played lots of games and ate lots of food it was a really nice Christmas and everyone had a merry time as you can see below.

(Clockwise from top left) Great Grandad Elf, Great Nana Elf & Roxy Doggy, Grandad Clause & your Cousins Baby Noah & Leo the Elf, Nana Clause enjoying a well deserved cocktail, Daddy, Grandad, Great Grandad & Uncle Nath playing a game.

Also, I and your Grandad Paul debuted are Christmas Surprise, we have been busy working away on it in the weeks to Christmas and it was finally ready to take on its first passengers.

We are really happy with how it turned out and I think everyone was super impressed with the what we had created. It put smiles on faces so it did its job wonderfully, I hope you like it little one. Right, its a new year so its onwards and upwards, it's going to be a great year I'm super excited about what the future holds. Our whole family sends its love to you and mummy, take care and ill have more for you soon I promise.

X

Your Daddy