Letter 40

20^th
February 2016

Dear Catherine,

Just reading my last letter, I am a bit surprised that it has been so long since I
last wrote.  It's amazing how quickly
time seems to pass - I'm sure you must find that happens sometimes.  Life moves on and I can hardly believe I retired
from work 7 months ago.  I am fed up with
people asking me how I am enjoying my retirement, as if it was like a permanent
holiday.  I wouldn't want a life where I
would sit on an easy chair in my slippers and watch TV, or read the paper or
even have a snooze.  I have more than
enough to do with my life with my involvement with two large charities.  Also I seem to get more and more private work.  But that is how I would like it, to be busy
doing something a bit useful.  You are
probably rather like that, conscientious with your work, at least that's what I
imagine, as I think of you.  Remember we
made that Japanese hat for you to wear when you were in the choir at The Royal
Albert Hall in that operatic scene or putting together your desk and shelf in
your bedroom which we bought from IKEA. 
I used like doing jobs with you, you were the only one who would help
consistently decorating.  But I am sure I
have mentioned all that before.  Those
nice memories and all those others, are very precious and will never leave my
thoughts.

I would love to know what you are doing at the moment.  I really hope you got to university and even
more important that you chose a good subject. 
With your clever creative intellect, you could have chosen in any number
of areas.  I am really sorry I was not
there to help you choose.  I am sure you
thought carefully and did make a sensible choice.  You are young anyhow and if you change your
mind and realise you would be better doing something else, you have time to
change.  The important thing is to give
it your best shot whatever you do.  I
hope you also do some sporting activity, as you do have good hand/eye co-ordination
skills.  Remember we had a go at playing badminton?  It's a strange game and maybe you would like
tennis better?  Remember we went skiing -
I heard you say once you loved skiing, when someone asked you, you didn't tell
me.  I am going skiing this coming week.  Remember going to the cottage, down the hill
from the central square where we parked the car, and slipping and sliding on
the snow because we still had our English shoes.  That was a few years ago now, but I bet it is
like cycling, once you have mastered it, you can always pick it up again.

There
are so many things I would like to be able to show you and do with you, if it
was possible to get together again.  I
know you have had to make difficult decisions, one rather massive decision
regarding me, but I don't hold you in any way responsible for what happened.  If anything our breakdown was my
responsibility, I just didn't recognise the signs.  It was the right decision you made at the
time, because it was probably the only decision you could have made, given the
circumstances.  I have always respected
your decisions, without making unreasonable demands on you and I am not about
to start.  If you ever have an inkling
you would like to hear from me or make contact, you are welcome to do so, I
would welcome you with open arms.  I
would like us to carry on again with the loving father/daughter relationship we
had before with no recriminations, just love and understanding.

So
hoping to hear from you

With
lots of love

dad
xxx                                                 
                         at home