Female Friendship

THE ‘OTHER WOMAN’ PROVED TO BE MICHELE A’COURT’S BIGGEST ASSET

- KATE LITTLE

There was a moment of panic shortly before my daughter left home (this was many years ago) when I realised there were a million things I wanted her to know, but hadn’t yet got around to telling her. The solution then, as far as I could imagine it, was that I needed to place her head gently on the kitchen table, put a funnel in her ear, then pour all kinds of ideas and advice into her brain so she would Be Ready For the World.

Crazy, right? But it’s a natural instinct to want to “put an old head on young shoulders” – a favourite phrase of my greatuncle Frank, who was given to a) offering advice but also, b) doubting it would do anyone any good. I’m pretty sure he would be delighted that I remember many of his pearls of wisdom, filed away in that part of your brain where you put things “for future reference”. I think of him each time I’m asked to go visit a school and try to say wise or useful things to young students, like recently in Hawke’s Bay.