Letter to myself.

I recently saw an article in a magazine in which Terry Irwin wrote her sixteen year old self a letter, offering sage advice and council about the years to come. The concept appealed, although Terri Irwin sadly, did not. At the risk of appearing self indulgent and sentimental. I thought I might have a go myself. Writing with the hind-sight of forty four years.

Dear Jacqui,

wherever life takes you and whatever you do, while you may wish you could change a few things, you'll look back on it all and be very happy with the way it's turned out.

Every cloud has a silver lining. It is not often obvious to start with, but you must look for it, and it will reveal itself eventually.

You are about to embark on a career that was chosen by default. It will be an intermittent career, but you will make such good use of the knowledge you gain from it.

There will always be the echo of your mother's advice in the matter. Appearing at their loudest in those moments when you are most thankful that you know what to do, and are not encumbered by a fear of the unknown. " A training for life".

However, you WILL look back and wish someone had suggested becoming a theatre costume designer or a photo journalist!!!

Remember that the beautiful people don't necessarily stay beautiful.

You will have happy children. You have chosen well. He has all the best qualities that you identify in your father and none of the worst ones, that make you weary and distrustful and fearful. It was a gamble well worth taking.

You will find joy in the small domestic craftings that you learned as a right of passage for the women of your family. They will become transformed into your art. Your expression of creativity. You will understand it to be part of your personal concept of "soul".

You will experience loss and grief, as everyone must at some time, but you will have had a lifetime of practice and preparation for it. It will add to the sum of your experiences and to the person you are, and the memories and symbols will become woven into your daily life.

You will always worry. The worrying makes you safe.

There will be many days like today, when the sun is shining and the cicadas are loud in the birch trees outside the window. A perfect day.