RDNZ_10-11_Oct_Nov Issue

I am 58 today. And if I’m being en- tirely honest, I wish I knew all that I know now when I was about forty years younger. I simply don’t know where the years have gone. It seems like only yesterday that I was fresh out of university and stepping into my very first job. I can still feel the absolute terror of the nail-biting, three-stage interview process to land a cadetship at the local newspaper. When they told me I had the role, I was proud as punch, and I remember my parents being utterly over the moon. Money was tight in our family back then, but for that final interview, my mum bought me a whole new outfit. I remember turning up feeling like a million dollars in a brand-new, brown tailored suit, a shiny cream blouse, and matching shoes. I was so incredibly appreciative of that sacrifice. Now, as I celebrate my 58th birthday and look at myself in the mirror, it’s a funny thing. I still see those same bright, eager eyes, but today they are surrounded by a map of soft lines and wrinkles. They’ve grown so gradually, spreading out like roots in a plant. Gosh, when did that happen? My lips seem a little thinner, a little paler, and I can see silver threads neatly intertwined through my hair. It used to be a thick, shaggy golden mop; now, it’s If I Could Turn Back Time here are 20 Things I’d Tell My 25-Year-Old Self by Sheron White The Blueprint for a Healthier, Happier, and Richer Life MY STORY My Story readersdigest.co.nz 11