ageing

The Worst Poached Eggs

September 15, 2025

I made the worst poached eggs ever for my lunch today. Although I carefully followed Nagi’s instructions, straining my eggs before sliding them into gently simmering water and forming them between a

Books·Life·Womanhood

Getting Older, Feeling Lost

October 3, 2023

Gabrielle is having a crisis: she’s lost her top notes. How will she resume her career as a famous opera singer if her voice isn’t what it used to be? What will

Womanhood

The Wise and Sparkly Older Gang

August 5, 2022

Do you ever get concerned about ageing? Do you slather on the anti-wrinkle creams, hoping to preserve your youthful appearance? Perhaps you choose and edit your photos with care, accepting only those

Life·Motherhood

Zero Birthday

May 4, 2020

My daughter Imogen and I are standing in front of the birthday candle display in the supermarket. “Which ones would you like, Mum?” I look at the boxes that each contain 12 candles,

Womanhood

The Secret Thrill of Getting Older

June 15, 2019

Many years ago, whenever I walked along the street followed by my gaggle of kids, people used to say, “You don’t look old enough to have that many children!” Of course, I

Motherhood·Womanhood

The Shaming Things People Say

July 9, 2018

She was so fat she couldn’t fit into a telephone box. How could anyone be that big? It didn’t seem possible. But it was. It was common knowledge. How did she feel?

Womanhood

What if Wrinkles Were Beautiful?

May 3, 2016

“What if people liked wrinkles?” I say to my girls. “What if wrinkles were thought to be beautiful? If I looked in the mirror and discovered a new line, I’d smile and

Womanhood

Ashamed of Being Ashamed of Looking Older

May 22, 2015

The other day, while I was browsing the shelves in our local library, a book title jumped out at me: Why Time Goes Faster as We Get Older. Yes, time is definitely