Matty is one of those ‘Beacons of Hope’ that David Fawcett talked about in last week’s film, and the changes he’s making in life after being surrounded by the team at Happy Days is truly wonderful.
His challenging childhood led to a life of prison, drugs, crime, violence and ultimately to emptiness. He’s seen close friends die from the same lifestyle he was living, perhaps it would only have been a matter of time before he did too.
When his first son was born, his fatherly drive to provide and protect was expressed through buying stuff. It was his girlfriend that told him “he doesn’t need stuff, he needs you”.
Matty is an individual who’s had to confront his old life and turn a complete 180 and walk in the other direction, and that takes guts. It takes courage to start a new chapter in life with the aim of learning a new way to live.
The joy in this story is multi-faceted - it’s not only his own life that will be impacted by this change but the lives of those he loves. His sons get to grow up with a Dad who’s learnt that fatherhood is about being present in their lives as they grow into men themselves.
“True wealth is not of the pocket, but of the heart and mind.”
Kevin Gates
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