The Australian Women's Weekly

Returning to the routine of everyday life after the holidays often marks a time for reflection. We look back at the highs and lows of the year past and set our intentions for the one ahead. What I have learned with age, and from the many curveballs of the last few years, is the importance of being kind to oneself in the process. This year I’m not committing to drop a dress size, I’m striving to live a healthier lifestyle and spend more time outdoors. Rather than putting pressure on myself to learn a new instrument or language, I am planning to see more live music and theatre. At the heart of it, I just want to do more of the things that make me happy and less of the things that…

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – PAULO COEHLO Letter of the month I’ve just finished reading the most recent edition of The Weekly with Emma Thompson on the cover – I read it front to back! This magazine does not shirk from the trials of life but in everything I read there’s a voice of grit, goodwill and determination we can all apply. In her statement “Our hurts become our fears. Our fears become our limits”, Michelle Obama both identified and unlocked the life I’ve lived since a young age. I’m about to turn 60, so reading that kernel of truth was a gift I’m grateful for! Our Ruff Red Well “our Ruff Red” has married and is moving on to another chapter of…

Royal VISIT Zara’s magic ride A sun-kissed Zara Tindall was radiant as she cantered along the beach at Surfers Paradise, while in town for the Magic Millions thoroughbred racehorse auction. The King’s niece, a former Olympic equestrian, and her husband, Mike Tindall, have been ambassadors of the event for 10 years. At the launch, Zara said she was glad to be back in Oz. “It’s nice to come back down and see all our friends again. It really is like a family and it’s been hard not being here for two years.” Women we love First in bronze Cricket legend Belinda Clark chose a stance that was “bold and courageous” when she posed for her bronze statue, the first to immortalise a female cricketer. The people’s pick Artist Juanella McKenzie’s woven carry dish, created to honour past…

As proud Kamilaroi person Teddy Collier-Caldwell stood up to address the Governor General at a Smith Family event, Christine Dennis shed tears of pride. For the past six years she has been, in her words “walking side by side” with Teddy, 20, as they bucked expectations to achieve extraordinary things. “I have clear memories of when we first met,” Christine tells The Weekly today as the pair reunite in Teddy’s home town of Wagga Wagga, NSW. “The thing that stood out was her determination. She’s an incredibly articulate young lady and had a very clear direction about where she was going and how she was going to get there. In fact, she made my job easy. “She was proactive at taking opportunities as they came forth. She has left a significant legacy…

Drifting off to sleep each night, a young Turia Pitt found comfort in the sound of her mother Célestine Vaite’s evening ritual. The French-speaking Tahitian native longed to tell the stories of her homeland. And so she had begun to write, in English; slaving away at what would be her debut novel, Breadfruit, after putting the kids to bed. “I remember falling to sleep every night and I could hear the sound of her typewriter just tapping away,” Turia says now, turning to smile at the woman who she credits with giving her the strength to come through the hardest of times. “I think that was a great lesson for me to learn as a kid. That if you work hard, if you are consistent and persistent then you will get results.…

While not on the same scale as the House of Windsor’s schisms, a dramatic stand-off inside the Danish royal family also hit the public domain in recent months and the ripples of discontent are still evident. This family infighting tarnished what had been a glorious golden jubilee year for the 82-year-old Queen Margrethe II, who boasts a jaw-dropping 80 per cent approval rating with her people. But it also hinted at a bumpy road ahead for the next King and Queen Consort – Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. The similarities with the Windsor joust are certainly pertinent, for again this is about the ‘spare’ to the heir struggling with the predestined family pecking order and the inequalities of sibling birthrights. It all started back in September with a surprise public statement…