I hope someone breaks your heart all at once
To my dear and beautiful daughters, I hope that when someone breaks your heart (and they will), that they do it all at once. A bombshell. A bit of knowledge so exquisitely disarming that it shatters your heart to pieces in
Favourites
When I was born, my Nan was 76 and had hair like buttercream. She had been waiting for me, she said, as I'm sure she did of all of her great-grandchildren. I knew I was her favourite because she let
Things that remind me of people: Pepsi
The first time I fell properly in love, I was 12. We had gone down the coast to a place called Wirrina. Lots of times, actually. Dad would run team building exercises and the rest of us would swim in
Getting divorced
I'm getting divorced. If this sounds strange to you, it's because my husband and I have been separated for nearly eight years. Twice as long as we were a couple. This year would be our 11th wedding anniversary. We've been married
How I told my boyfriend about my mental illness
I almost didn't meet my boyfriend, on account of my mental illness. It was a down day, a blue day, the third day in a swag of no-shower days. I might have worn deodorant. Probably not. My sincere preference that
Little Lily
After watching the Digital Writers' Festival session about things we've memorialised online, I went back and had a look through some old blog posts, starting in 2000 when I was an idiot with the world's most terrible boyfriend. But then I
I can never resist an attention seeker
A couple of days ago, Gaz and I said words to each other, some of which I tweeted because my feelings were hurt. Gaz didn't tweet the things I said to him, because a) he doesn't have Twitter, and b)
Happy birthday Georgia
Ten years ago, when I was 20, I had a baby. I'm not sure whose idea that was exactly. It definitely wasn't my mum's idea. I remember the way her voice broke when I told her I was pregnant. I'd known
Empty spaces
When I was 15, I sang the Hallelujah Chorus. I practised for months, with the choir on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays and in private on all the other days. I sang until I had the notes just exactly right and
My life event
Facebook calls this a "life event". As in, "Henry Smith likes your life event." There are other ways you could describe it, too, like "What are you guys even doing?" and "I thought this already happened ages ago?" I think I will choose
Cats of the Round Table
You know the way an animal can come in and tear out your heart in only two weeks? It seems ridiculous, like looking for an excuse to be sad about something. Lament the sickness of the kitten, the money you will