I do appreciate the newsletter every Monday. No matter what I have been doing or where I have been in the last few years I have read it each week. I even read it in Iran on business of all places 2 years ago.

Today's is the importance of being present for children and grandchildren and this is right for men and women. Obviously we all need a balance. In the UK no one needs to work as we have a cradle to grave health and benefits system where if you do not work you are kept but most women and men choose to work and have families. I liked the comment about needing time alone too. I always have done. We had 3 chldren before I was 27 and both worked full time I did not realise the importance of that. Years later with our twins I felt much more able even to hire a girl for Saturday mornigs because I knew I needed some time whilst their father was busy to sit, think, be in silence. For me that was part of being a good mother the rest of the time.

At 50 (just) I have never been as happy in my life and a huge part of that is eating well. one thin I wish I'd known is that I would not have a single menopause symptom until into my 50s. I stll haven't. I wish I'd been told at 40 that - yes you have 10 more years with no differences, that some people do and don't even think about menopause until into your 50s instead of wasting mental energy worrying about it. Of course it is bound to come now. Perhaps eating well in my 40s has kept it at bay. We will see. May be in 2 years I will be posting on no other topics and the problems it by then has brought.