My favourite memory from this December holiday in KwaZulu-Natal is the glorious smile on my daughter’s face as she caught waves on her boogie board. We have stunning beaches in Cape Town, but the water is frigid. The Indian Ocean along the east coast, on the other hand, is a magnificent temperature if you want to swim and enjoy other water sports, such as boogie boarding, without losing feeling in your fingers and toes after 30 seconds. We’re not surf pros who kick it out to the backline, so it was a bit of good fortune to discover a sand bank in the sea near our usual swimming spot, and that’s where we caught the memorable waves which lit up her face like that of a small child receiving a much-longed-for birthday gift. Today happens to be her 17th birthday. Yikes! It’s hard to imagine where the time has gone since she took her first breath in this world. I think one of the reasons our fun in the surf will remain a cherished, lingering memory for me is that a girl her age can still have as much fun with her father as she did when he chased her giggling toddler frame around the garden. I realise her childhood is over and that she’s standing on the threshold of young adulthood, but there was something wonderfully childlike about her expression in the sea.

I hope you were able to make some great memories with your children if you were fortunate enough to get time off over the festive season. And here’s wishing you all a very happy year with your loved ones.