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Why Daddy Doesn't Smoke When Kirsten was still very young, my father took ill. Jenny, Kirsten, and myself caught a flight to the US as quickly as we could, making it in time for my daughter to meet her grandfather before he passed on from a smoking related illness. Luckily, my father had a few lucid moments before he passed, and one of them was when Kirsten came to visit him in the hospital. A few days later my father passed away. In busy times that followed preparing for the memorial service, my daughter said to me: "Dad, can I ask you something?" I told her of course, and she looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes and said "I don't want you to smoke anymore."
What else is a father to do? I promised her I wouldn't smoke cigarettes anymore, and haven't to this day. As we were driving somewhere in the evening before we flew back to England, she looked up at the full moon as it rose over the Missouri countryside, and said in that matter of fact little girl voice "Grandpa is up there." she said, pointing at the moon.
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A wave is Coming During Kirsten's first visit to the US after he mother and I split up we (Jenny and I) took her to the beach in Santa Cruz. As this was my first time to the beach as well, I chose a spot that I had seen as we drove by a sign that said beach access. Well, we got out of the car and climbed up the hill before the beach, and saw a very lovely cove with a large beach on it. It was difficult to get to however, as we had to climb down a steep hill, but eventually we made it.
As we were relaxing, Kirsten was building a sandcastle, and would run to the edge of the water, but never got her feet wet. Well her mother and I played a litle joke on her, and told her the best water for the moat was when the waves went out. As she went out, I went with her and sure enough, a wave came crashing back in soaking us both, making her squeal with laughter. (Cold water never really bothered her much, as she grew up in England of course).
Was it mean? Perhaps, but I got wet with her and she laughed and enjoyed the day.
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