As the needle punctured the skin on my leg and pumped ink into it, I winced from the pain. "It will be worth it, Mum, my son, 24, winked. A tattoo artist, he'd convinced me, at 51, to get my first tattoo. It was his birthday gift to me, and as the cherry blossom and peonies began to take shape, I had to admit it looked beautiful. A few years ago, I'd have shaken my head vigorously at the idea of getting a tattoo in my 50s. I'd always admired them on other people, but never had the confidence to have one myself. But since my divorce in 2018, I'd been on a journey of change and growth and this tattoo was just another step towards the new me.
I was 46 when my husband and I split up after 24 years of marriage. By then, my sons, 19 and 14, were less reliant on me and I felt like I'd reached a crossroads in my life. I'd lost myself in my marriage and motherhood, and wasn't sure what direction to take next, but I wanted to use the opportunity to focus on myself and explore new things.
MAKING CHANGES
Esta historia es de la edición October 02, 2023 de WOMAN'S OWN.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 02, 2023 de WOMAN'S OWN.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
