Smoking on My Deathbed

Contemplative Column by Theodore Richards

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

“Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” 

—Dylan Thomas

My five-year-old is, in many ways, my easiest child, overall. She’s the kind of child that teachers love, the kind of child who people won’t hesitate to watch. “Oh, I’ll watch Calliope anytime!” they’ll say. She can focus easily; she’s kind; she pays attention and wa…