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Hamish Blake reveals single most life-changing interview moment

<p>Hamish Blake has revealed the A-list celebrity's candid answer to an interview questions that had a profound impact on his perspective. </p> <p>The radio and TV host appeared on the latest episode of the ABC program <em>The Assembly</em>, in which celebrities appear in front of a classroom of Australian university students, all of whom are autistic and studying journalism, and have permission to ask whatever questions they want. </p> <p>After Blake's extensive career, student Silas was keen to ask about what celebrity had the biggest impact on him. </p> <p>“You’ve interviewed a lot of people over the years, what answer to a question has most changed your perspective on life?” Silas asked a clearly-impressed Blake.</p> <p>“Ooooh … really good,” he responded.</p> <p>“We had Richard Branson on [Hamish and Andy], and one of the guys on our radio show, Jack, he basically said to him, ‘You are a billionaire. Can we just go downstairs to the ATM, can you give me a thousand dollars? It’s nothing to you but it will change my month’.”</p> <p>Blake went on to explain that the British entrepreneur gave a surprising response that has stayed with him ever since.</p> <p>“He was like, ‘I’ll tell you what – there’s something I’d give you all my money for’, and Jack’s like, ‘really?’ and [Richard] goes, ‘your age’.</p> <p>“I was like, that’s interesting. Jack was 22, and we were like, ‘What do you mean by that?’ and he said, 'I’d happily be broke and 22 than a billionaire and 68’, or whatever he was at the time.”</p> <p>Blake said the answer had "always stuck with him" and given him a new appreciation for ageing and freedom. </p> <p>“It’s true. I think that it will be true for all of us. As we get older, you’re like, ‘OK, money’s thing in life, a tool that can certainly take some bad situations and discomfort away, but it’s not happiness’. It’s nowhere near the exhilaration of getting to live, and all the best stuff is free,” he said.</p> <p>“I think about that all the time … That always stuck with me, that idea that we’ve got something immediately available to us, that in the future we’d give all our material possessions for.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: ABC </em></p>

TV

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"Miss you every single day": Patti Newton's touching birthday tribute to Bert

<p>Patti Newton has shared a touching message to her late husband Bert Newton on what would've been his 86th birthday. </p> <p>The 79-year-old singer, actress and dancer shared a series of family photos on Instagram, with a special tribute to her husband. </p> <p>"To my darling Bert, Happy Birthday hope you're having a great time you have so many wonderful friends up there with you," Patti wrote alongside a photo of herself, her late husband and their grandchildren.</p> <p>"We all miss you every single day. Love you Mack xxx," she concluded, with a reference to the nickname he used to call her. </p> <p>She then shared a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9xNZyqzjkM/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photo</a> of her and Bert holding each other's arms with the message: "Goodnight my darling, sweet dreams xx". </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9w6-M5JKLJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9w6-M5JKLJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Patti Newton (@pattinewtonofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fans took to the comments to share their birthday wishes to Bert and send their well-wishes to Patti.</p> <p>"Gorgeous photo Patti. Happy Heavenly Birthday to your darling Bert and the legend he always will be," wrote one fan. </p> <p>"Happy Birthday in the Sky to dear Bert- gosh he was FABULOUS!" added another. </p> <p>"Happy Heavenly Birthday to you Bert ❤️ lots of love to you Patti" wrote a third. </p> <p>Bert and Patti were married for 47 years until his death in 2021. </p> <p>They welcomed their son Matt Newton in 1977, three years after they got married and daughter Lauren Newton in 1979. </p> <p>They also have six grandchildren, Sam, Eva, Lola, Monty, Perla and Alby. </p> <p>Bert passed away in October 2021, aged 83 after a long battle with numerous illnesses and a few months after he had a leg amputation. </p> <p>Eighteen months after his death, Patti told <em>9honey</em>: "I'll never get over him not being here. I've got photographs everywhere and I have a chat with him most nights."</p> <p>"We had a wonderful relationship. We had ups and downs like everybody has, but we did have a fabulous marriage," she said.</p> <p>"We came together and we always had a laugh and I think that's probably what I miss the most."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Deborra-Lee Furness reflects on life as a single woman

<p>Deborra-Lee Furness has reflected on her life after her high-profile divorce from Hugh Jackman. </p> <p>Eight months on from the split, the 68-year-old actress has opened up about her life as a single woman, sharing what she has learned about herself through the emotional process. </p> <p>Jackman and Furness shocked the world when they announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage last September, but Furness told <a href="https://people.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>People</em></a> magazine that she has rediscovered parts of herself through the journey. </p> <p>“[I learned] that I’m strong and resilient,” Furness said. </p> <p>She also told<em> <a href="https://pagesix.com/entertainment/"><span id="U8341706792141mG">Page Six</span></a></em> at the screening for her new movie that she’s been “learning a lot about myself and I’m embracing evolution and growth.”</p> <p>The actress told the publication that it’s been a “year of evolution” for her that has been “scary” and “every other adjective.”</p> <p>However, Furness also told the outlet she was “grateful” that the last few months, although they have been difficult, presented her an opportunity for personal growth.</p> <p>She also revealed that she’s had close friends to lean on for support as she explores life as a single woman again. </p> <p>“I say this to all women — your girlfriends are a necessity in life,” Furness said before adding that her children have also been “very supportive”.</p> <p>Furness and Jackman announced their split in a joint statement shared with <span id="U834170679214oEC">People Magazine.</span></p> <p>“We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” they said. “Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Relationships

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Would you be happy as a long-term single? The answer may depend on your attachment style

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-pepping-1524533">Christopher Pepping</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/geoff-macdonald-1527971">Geoff Macdonald</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-toronto-1281">University of Toronto</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-cronin-415060">Tim Cronin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuthika-girme-1494822">Yuthika Girme</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/simon-fraser-university-1282">Simon Fraser University</a></em></p> <p>Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make it difficult for them to find a partner or maintain a relationship.</p> <p>But is this true? Or can long-term single people also be secure and thriving?</p> <p>Our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jopy.12929">latest research</a> published in the Journal of Personality suggests they can. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, not everybody tends to thrive in singlehood. Our study shows a crucial factor may be a person’s attachment style.</p> <h2>Singlehood is on the rise</h2> <p>Singlehood is on the rise around the world. In Canada, single status among young adults aged 25 to 29 has increased from <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220713/dq220713b-eng.htm">32% in 1981 to 61% in 2021</a>. The number of people <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220713/dq220713a-eng.htm">living solo</a> has increased from 1.7 million people in 1981 to 4.4 million in 2021.</p> <p>People are single for many reasons: <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/ebook/9780520971004/happy-singlehood">some choose</a> to remain single, some are focusing on <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12147-020-09249-0">personal goals and aspirations</a>, some report <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/nearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years/">dating has become harder</a>, and some become single again due to a relationship breakdown.</p> <p>People may also remain single due to their attachment style. Attachment theory is a popular and well-researched model of how we form relationships with other people. An <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=attachment+theory">Amazon search for attachment theory</a> returns thousands of titles. The hashtag #attachmenttheory has been viewed <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/20/why-attachment-theory-is-trending-according-to-dr-amir-levine.html">over 140 million times</a> on TikTok alone.</p> <h2>What does attachment theory say about relationships?</h2> <p>Attachment theory suggests our relationships with others are shaped by our degree of “anxiety” and “avoidance”.</p> <p>Attachment anxiety is a type of insecurity that leads people to feel anxious about relationships and worry about abandonment. Attachment avoidance leads people to feel uncomfortable with intimacy and closeness.</p> <p>People who are lower in attachment anxiety and avoidance are considered “securely attached”, and are comfortable depending on others, and giving and receiving intimacy.</p> <p>Single people are often stereotyped as being <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01461672231203123">too clingy or non-committal</a>. Research comparing single and coupled people also suggests single people have <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2012.00793.x?casa_token=6iiCm5PjHgkAAAAA:0kBeofx3M-72YrkVppmNxdWBIAImFwm3lAakCnuiNXL20SVP1zaW7UeDIahW_43imAjSRXgtyN0hLVI">higher levels of attachment insecurities</a> compared to people in relationships.</p> <p>At the same time, evidence suggests many single people are choosing to remain single and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/17456916221136119">living happy lives</a>.</p> <h2>Single people represent a diverse group of secure and insecure people</h2> <p>In our latest research, our team of social and clinical psychologists examined single people’s attachment styles and how they related to their happiness and wellbeing.</p> <p>We carried out two studies, one of 482 younger single people and the other of 400 older long-term singles. We found overall 78% were categorised as insecure, with the other 22% being secure.</p> <p>Looking at our results more closely, we found four distinct subgroups of singles:</p> <ul> <li> <p>secure singles are relatively comfortable with intimacy and closeness in relationships (22%)</p> </li> <li> <p>anxious singles question whether they are loved by others and worry about being rejected (37%)</p> </li> <li> <p>avoidant singles are uncomfortable getting close to others and prioritise their independence (23% of younger singles and 11% of older long-term singles)</p> </li> <li> <p>fearful singles have heightened anxiety about abandonment, but are simultaneously uncomfortable with intimacy and closeness (16% of younger singles and 28% of older long-term singles).</p> </li> </ul> <h2>Insecure singles find singlehood challenging, but secure singles are thriving</h2> <p>Our findings also revealed these distinct subgroups of singles have distinct experiences and outcomes.</p> <p>Secure singles are happy being single, have a greater number of non-romantic relationships, and better relationships with family and friends. They meet their sexual needs outside romantic relationships and feel happier with their life overall. Interestingly, this group maintains moderate interest in being in a romantic relationship in the future.</p> <p>Anxious singles tend to be the most worried about being single, have lower self-esteem, feel less supported by close others and have some of the lowest levels of life satisfaction across all sub-groups.</p> <p>Avoidant singles show the least interest in being in a romantic relationship and in many ways appear satisfied with singlehood. However, they also have fewer friends and close relationships, and are generally less satisfied with these relationships than secure singles. Avoidant singles also report less meaning in life and tend to be less happy compared to secure singles.</p> <p>Fearful singles reported more difficulties navigating close relationships than secure singles. For instance, they were less able to regulate their emotions, and were less satisfied with the quality of their close relationships relative to secure singles. They also reported some of the lowest levels of life satisfaction across all sub-groups.</p> <h2>It’s not all doom and gloom</h2> <p>These findings should be considered alongside several relevant points. First, although most singles in our samples were insecure (78%), a sizeable number were secure and thriving (22%).</p> <p>Further, simply being in a romantic relationship is not a panacea. Being in an unhappy relationship is linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316">poorer life outcomes</a> than being single.</p> <p>It is also important to remember that attachment orientations are not necessarily fixed. They are open to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X18300113">change</a> in response to life events.</p> <p>Similarly, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721413510933">sensitive and responsive behaviours</a> from close others and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075231162390">feeling loved and cared about</a> by close others can soothe underlying attachment concerns and foster attachment security over time.</p> <p>Our studies are some of the first to examine the diversity in attachment styles among single adults. Our findings highlight that many single people are secure and thriving, but also that more work can be done to help insecure single people feel more secure in order to foster happiness.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/227595/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-pepping-1524533">Christopher Pepping</a>, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/geoff-macdonald-1527971">Geoff Macdonald</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-toronto-1281">University of Toronto</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-cronin-415060">Tim Cronin</a>, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuthika-girme-1494822">Yuthika Girme</a>, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/simon-fraser-university-1282">Simon Fraser University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/would-you-be-happy-as-a-long-term-single-the-answer-may-depend-on-your-attachment-style-227595">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Relationships

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Michelle Bridges' candid admission on being a single mum

<p>Michelle Bridges has spoken candidly about the challenges of being a single parent to her seven-year-old son Axel. </p> <p>The former <em>Biggest Loser</em> trainer described her son, who she shared with ex-partner and fellow celebrity trainer Steve Willis, as a "confident" little boy. </p> <p>While Bridges was doing radio interviews about a new project, Axel joined in on the fun. </p> <p>The 52-year-old told <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/michelle-bridges-single-mum-son-axel-health-and-fitness/2ae072f9-e38c-46ff-b4ba-6e08c99bd33e" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>9Honey</em></a>, "He's just like a little man now, we have good conversations and he's got a really good sense of humour." </p> <p>"He went into that radio station this morning, just jumped on the microphone, started singing and was answering the phone."</p> <p>Bridges said she has purposefully organised her everyday life to be present in her young son's life. </p> <p>"I've kind of engineered my life this way to be able to take him to school and pick him up pretty much every single day," she says.</p> <p>She went on to say her and Axel are "two peas in a pod", while admitting it has been difficult to raise Axel as a single parent. </p> <p>"We're a team and we're very close, extremely close. And yes, it can be challenging and you do need to sometimes rely on other people to help you out," she explains.</p> <p>"I don't have family in Sydney but I have basically my best friend who's like my brother, and they are super tight."</p> <p>"It does take a bit of a village if you've got one great if you haven't you sometimes need to really find it."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Family & Pets

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Here’s why you need to go for a walk every single day

<p><strong>The benefits of walking every day </strong></p> <p>Twenty summers ago, Nancy Duguay stood at the side of a soccer pitch in watching her 11-year-old son sprint back and forth, and wished she had a cigarette.</p> <p>Duguay, then 39 and a cardiac-rehab nurse, was trying to quit smoking after having the habit for more than half her life. She’d sneaked her first cigarettes from her parents’ packs as a teen and hadn’t stopped since. With her hands empty as she waited for her son’s practice to end, the urge for a puff gnawed at her.</p> <p>Behind the field, the heavily forested Sugarloaf Mountain stood guard. As a kid, Duguay and her friends regularly hiked the mountain and picnicked on its peak.</p> <p>Then an idea struck her: walking instead of smoking. She told another parent that she would be back in time to pick up her son and then set off for the mountain. “In just my regular sneakers, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt,” she remembers.</p> <p>Duguay’s heart pounded as she climbed, and she stopped often to rest. When she arrived at the top, she took in the view that sweeps over the city and across the river to the rolling hills of the Gaspé Peninsula.</p> <p>“I just felt so good,” says Duguay. “My natural endorphins kicked in, and the craving was gone.”</p> <p>Almost every day since, she has gone for a walk – and the habit has changed her life. Not only did she quit smoking, but her resting heart rate dropped from 80 beats per minute to 60. The ritual has given her a lot more, as well: stress relief, mental-health management, and a sense of community.</p> <p>“There’s a psychological and physical need to do it now,” she says. “I want to keep healthy and keep moving.” Keep reading to discover more incredible health benefits of walking every day.</p> <p><strong>It's good for your body</strong></p> <p>A growing body of research confirms what Duguay discovered: there are enormous benefits in walking every day. According to a report from the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine, walking for 150 minutes a week can reduce the risk of most major chronic diseases by 25 to 50 per cent. In fact, light to moderate exercise has been found to be more effective than medication during rehabilitation after a stroke. For prevention of diabetes and as a secondary treatment of heart disease, walking is equally as effective as taking drugs.</p> <p>In 2019, a Journal of Clinical Oncology study reported that a small amount of physical activity – such as taking a brisk walk for 20 minutes or more a day – is linked to a lower risk of seven types of cancer. Meanwhile, more walking means better sleep, too. In a recent study of middle-aged men and women, the participants who took more steps during the day slept better at night.</p> <p>“We need to start thinking about walking as a healthy activity,” advises Dr Jane Thornton, a family physician in London, Ontario. She advocates for the idea that we consider physical activity as medicine – a philosophy that grew out of personal experience. Thornton was a shy, sedentary 14-year-old when she signed up for a beginner’s rowing class in Fredericton. While her physical fitness improved, a new social circle opened to her and her grades went up. Thornton went on to become a world-champion rower and represented Canada at the 2008 Olympics.</p> <p>A few years after competing in the Olympics and shortly before retiring from sport, she enrolled in medical school. She was surprised by the lack of information provided to physicians-in-training about the benefits of exercise. “For whatever reason, there just wasn’t any content at all on physical activity,” she says.</p> <p>In 2014, Thornton started working on a campaign with the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine to get doctors to prescribe physical activity for patients – including walking. “I don’t think it’s a panacea for everybody, but it is one of the easiest, best solutions we have at our disposal,” she says.</p> <p>One significant reason that walking is so good for us is fairly straightforward: when we move, our hearts work harder to transport blood to the working muscles and organs. That repeated effort strengthens the heart muscle, making it pump more efficiently at all times, sending blood around the body with fewer beats per minute. Exercise also improves the function of blood vessels, with one analysis reporting that aerobic exercise can improve our vascular health.</p> <p>Walking helps build other muscles, too, especially in the lower body, and improves balance and strength. Physiotherapists like to say “Motion is lotion.” When our bodies don’t move enough, they stiffen. Ligaments, tendons and muscles tighten when they’re not used, causing pain in joints. For back pain, especially, movement can help. When we walk, we activate the muscles that run along the spine, strengthening them. “Pain and function improve just by putting those muscles into play,” Thornton says.</p> <p>Hospitals have also begun to embrace the value of walking. At Mount Sinai in Toronto, older patients weren’t always encouraged to get up from bed because of the risk of falling. About ten years ago, that changed. Assisted by doctors, nurses and volunteers, patients are now prompted to walk to the bathroom, explore the hallways and get out of bed to eat their meals.</p> <p>Since that change, fewer patients require catheters and suffer pressure ulcers. On average, they spend less time in the hospital. “Every day that an older person is in bed, they lose five per cent of their physical functioning,” says Dr Samir Sinha, Mount Sinai Hospital’s director of geriatrics. “So getting them up and walking can reduce the chance that grandma might not be able to return home.”</p> <p><strong>It's good for your mental health </strong></p> <p>One of the most important benefits of walking every day is that it’s equally beneficial for our mental health. For Duguay, walking helped her through some of the toughest periods in her life. When her mother died of cancer, Duguay turned to the mountain to walk through her pain. “I would cry all the way up the mountain,” she remembers. In this way, walking became her antidepressant.</p> <p>According to a 2019 study led by researchers at Harvard University, people with a genetic risk for depression are less likely to struggle with the condition if they exercise – even performing light physical activity like walking.</p> <p>Walking also reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In 2019, the World Health Organization released new guidelines on dementia prevention, and its top recommendation was to get more exercise.</p> <p>“We’ve always known that exercise is good for your heart, but we’re now making a connection between exercise and cognitive improvements,” said Dr Saskia Sivananthan, chief research &amp; knowledge, translation and exchange officer at the Alzheimer Society of Canada.</p> <p>Although that link isn’t yet fully understood, Sivananthan says there are a number of possible explanations: increased blood flow to the brain increases the organ’s cell growth; physical activity stimulates certain hormones that improve well-being and may reduce brain-matter loss linked to cognitive function; and walking might also reduce inflammation in the brain.</p> <p>Meanwhile, one study from McMaster University has shown that aerobic activity that incorporates intervals of higher-intensity exertion improves memory function. According to Dr Jennifer Heisz, who worked on the research, walking promotes production of a protein, BDNF, that spurs growth of new brain cells. These cells help us create high-fidelity memories – “the type we need every day to locate our car in a busy parking lot and recognise a friend in a crowd,” she said.</p> <p><strong>It's good for your social life</strong></p> <p>Jim Button, a 56-year-old entrepreneur, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2014. He underwent successful surgery but, less than two years later, he learned that his cancer was back, had spread and was terminal.</p> <p>Button knew that exercise would help keep him as healthy as possible. He started walking five kilometres a day. Before his diagnosis, he’d meet with business contacts and friends at coffee shops. Now he asks them to join him on a walk. Every day over the last three years that his health has allowed, Button has gone for a walk, all the while expanding the range of his walking partners – he regularly strolls with strangers who reach out to him seeking business advice, or people recently diagnosed with cancer and other illnesses.</p> <p>“I’ve discovered that not a lot of people go for walks,” Button says. “And when they do, it opens up their mind to be a bit more honest about whatever challenge they would like to talk about.” On some walks, he says, conversation never slows. On others, little is said but much is shared, even silently.</p> <p>Inspired by Button’s strolls, Dr Lisa Bélanger – founder of Knight’s Cabin, a Canadian charity for cancer survivors and their supporters – helped found an initiative in Calgary called Walk It Out. The program is like other peer support groups, but participants walk outside while they share their experiences with the disease. “More than in a sit-down, face-to-face meeting, walking seems to allow a conversation to flow naturally,” she says.</p> <p>Bélanger, who is an expert in behavioural medicine, adds that walking has the power to undo negative thought patterns. “If you’re thinking about a problem and you go for a walk, the activity in your brain changes, and you learn and think better,” she says.</p> <p>Like Button, Nancy Duguay has corralled her community around her daily walks. The more she walked, the more people around her saw the benefits and started doing it, too. Her husband, Roger, began to accompany her on hikes on their holidays. And about seven years after Duguay’s first walk up a nearby mountain, her sister decided to try it. Now she, too, takes a walk every day, and they often go together. A small community of walkers has formed around them.</p> <p>“We’ll meet people coming down and say, ‘This was a tough one today. It was really slippery, but boy, you know, it’s worth it.’”</p> <p><strong>Put your best food forwards</strong></p> <p>To experience all the benefits of walking every day, treat it like a workout, says personal-fitness trainer Korey Samuelson:</p> <p>Walk with an upright posture, your head held straight, not looking up or down. Keep your gaze about five metres ahead.</p> <p>To move faster, put more bend in your elbows.</p> <p>Swing your arms forwards and back; moving them across the body isn’t efficient. “Just like sprinting, arm movement is important for strong walking,” says Samuelson.</p> <p>When your lead foot lands on the ground, roll from heel to toe. Your footwear should be pliable enough to allow the natural movement across your foot.</p> <p>To speed up, increase your strides per minute rather than elongating your strides. More steps per minute means you’ll travel further, faster.</p> <p>Use Nordic walking poles to increase your heart rate and burn more calories.</p> <p>Intersperse intervals of brisk walking with periods at a slower pace.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/heres-why-you-need-to-go-for-a-walk-every-single-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Body

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“Coffee that makes people cry”: Sydney cafe charges $1500 for a single brew

<p>For most people, forking out $5 for a cup of coffee is to be expected, even threatening a daily budget in the midst of Australia’s cost of living crisis. </p> <p>But for one Western Sydney cafe and its wealthier clientele, that $5 has shot to $1500. </p> <p>Penrith’s Brew Lab Cafe is the place to be for coffee lovers seeking Australia’s “rarest coffee” in a unique after-hours experience that’s available by appointment only. </p> <p>As for why the beans set customers back so much, they’re apparently found growing at the base of a Panamanian volcano that’s 1700 metres above sea level, rating well above a 90 - which apparently signifies that they’re some of the best when it comes to coffee beans.</p> <p>And to top it all off, they fly first class. </p> <p>There’s a precise formula behind brewing the coffee, too, with pre-dampened filter paper, water boiled to 94 degrees, and carefully timed “pour over” sessions. It’s intended to be served black, with no additional sweeteners or flavours. </p> <p>“We order it once the customer has,” the cafe’s owner and barista Mitch Johnson told <em>9News</em>. “We then get in contact with the guys in Panama, they’ll roast the order individually, and then they’ll send it over on their private jet.”</p> <p>However, for those hoping for a hit of coffee flavour from their brew, they may find themselves a little disappointed. </p> <p>As Johnson explained, “most people when they drink it, say their first impression is that it's more like a tea than a coffee.”</p> <p>Unsurprisingly, they don’t see an awful lot of people flocking in to hand over $1500, but apparently do get “quite a few coming in once a week to try our $100 or $200 coffees.</p> <p>"It's not rare for us at all. There is an underground coffee scene in Sydney that is actively pursuing exotic brews such as this.”</p> <p>When speaking to <em>The Daily Telegraph</em> about their offering, Johnson added that it wasn’t just about the coffee itself, noting that “this is an after-hours experience, only served one-on-one where we close the doors and talk the person through the process.</p> <p>“This particular coffee, you drink it as it cools down and the flavours change and evolve, giving way to tastes of peach, strawberry, lemonade, rose and juniper.</p> <p>“It’s an exceptional coffee, the kind of coffee that makes people cry, I know that sounds crazy but it’s happened, it’s brought them to tears.”</p> <p><em>Images: 9News / Nine</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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"What am I going to do?”: Centrelink mother points out crucial flaw in new budget policy for parents

<p>An unemployed mother who relies on Centrelink benefits has broken down while noting a fatal flaw in Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ Federal Budget promises to parents.</p> <p>Jessica Blowers told ABC’s <em>Q&amp;A</em> program that she will be forced off the Single Parent Payment when her daughter turns eight in August, leaving her unable to afford the rent increases.</p> <p>Currently, single parents can claim the Parenting Payment of $949.30 a fortnight until their youngest child turns eight. By September 2023, the age limit for the pay rise to when the youngest child is 14, as part of Chalmers’ budget.</p> <p>Ms Blowers is one of many copping the brunt of it as her daughter’s 8th birthday is four weeks before the new rules begin.</p> <p>She will also see a rent increase during that period from $900 a fortnight to $960.</p> <p>“What am I going to do? What is my choice, other than I am doing my best to get a job so that I can keep a house over my daughter's head,” she stressed to the treasurer.</p> <p>“When I'm applying for the jobs, I am faced with being told that more than 100 other candidates have applied for the same jobs - I'm not sure how I am supposed to compete against 100 other people for one job.”</p> <p>Ms Blowers added she “would like to know what measures the government has in place to bridge the gap that I and other parents in similar situations will find ourselves in”.</p> <p>“I don't have anywhere to go because I am paying my entire pension in rent. Everywhere else in Sydney is comparable to that.”</p> <p>Although sympathetic to her situation, Chalmers said those suffering like Ms Blowers were “the reason why we are lifting the age from eight to 14”.</p> <p>“This is something we were really keen to do in the Budget because we recognise the pressure that you are under as a single mum,” he explained.</p> <p>However, Chalmers was adamant that the new system could not be introduced any earlier than September 20, 2023.</p> <p>“We've tried to do is bring that change in as soon as possible. We think September is the soonest that we can do it,” he said.</p> <p>“I understand that that means a few weeks for you going from the current payment onto JobSeeker and (then) back onto the single parenting payment.</p> <p>“I would love to avoid that if we could, but what we're trying to do is provide this extra assistance ... that you need and deserve. If we could avoid those couple of weeks, we would, but September is the best we can do.”</p> <p>In total, some 57,000 single parents, 90 per cent of whom are women, will benefit from the new scheme.</p> <p>Previously they would have been moved onto the lower JobSeeker rate when their youngest child turned eight.</p> <p>“By age 14, children have typically settled into high school and need less parental supervision, and single parents are in a much stronger position to take on paid work," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when the policy was announced.</p> <p>Historically, the single parent payment was eligible for singles with children aged up to 16.</p> <p>But former prime minister John Howard, later supported by Julia Gillard, cut the age to eight in an attempt to encourage parents back into the workforce.</p> <p>Two advisory bodies have called for the government to extend the payment and the eligibility criteria.</p> <p>It is understood mutual obligation requirements will remain in order to continue encouraging parents to go back to work.</p> <p>Speaking to Nova radio in Perth, Mr Albanese explained he knew “firsthand what it's like to grow up with a single mum doing it tough”.</p> <p>“We want to look after single parents because we know that the role that they play in raising their children is such a priority for them and they’re deserving of more support,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: ABC Q&amp;A</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Stranger’s “kind” act for a struggling single mum

<p dir="ltr">A struggling single mother has been moved to tears by a stranger’s random act of kindness while doing her grocery shopping. </p> <p dir="ltr">The mother, hailing from Ipswich in Queensland, was doing her shopping ahead of the school term starting up as she paced the aisles mentally tallying the cost of her groceries to not go over her strict budget. </p> <p dir="ltr">As she continued to add carefully selected items to her trolley, a young girl approached her with a gift. </p> <p dir="ltr">The girl handed her a $50 note saying it was a gift from her mother, in a random act of kindness that left her “shaking and crying”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I had the most incredible thing happen to me today. I'm in Woolies Riverlink in Ipswich QLD getting a few things for back to school and I'm adding my shopping up on my calculator and checking the price of EVERYTHING,” the mum wrote in a Facebook post. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Next, a lovely little girl came up to me handing me a $50 and said 'My mummy wants to give you a gift', I said 'Thank you, have the wrong person, honey'.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The young girl assured the woman she was the person her mum wanted to give the $50 to and ran off before she could say anything else.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“I looked up at her mum shaking and in tears and she gave me a nod and a thumbs up,” the woman said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“She had no idea just how much I needed this right now. Her kindness meant the world to me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Many applauded the stranger’s generosity as more families are feeling the pressure with sky-rocketing costs of living, with like-minded budgeting mothers sharing how they were touched by the sweet story. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Made me cry this lovely Sunday morning. Always gives hope to know there are some really wonderful people out there,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There are some truly wonderful people in the world! You don't have to give someone $50 to make their day - any small kind gesture can change the course of someone's life,” a second agreed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There are some absolute angels out there for sure!” said another. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Cruise passenger left without a single change of clothes in a lost luggage nightmare

<p>When Australian grandmother Cheryl Stuchbery and her husband, John, set sail with Royal Caribbean cruises from Sydney to New Zealand, they thought they were embarking on their dream holiday. </p> <p>But some dreams are destined to turn into nightmares, as Cheryl soon learned, when it was revealed that staff aboard the cruise liner had lost her suitcase. </p> <p>For the next 11 days, Cheryl was left without so much as a change of clothes, forced to wear the same outfit time and time again. John helped as much as he could, offering his own underwear so that his wife wasn’t entirely going without. </p> <p>Speaking to Australia’s <em>A Current Affair</em>, Cheryl admitted that the entire experience had left her “very depressed. I was in tears a lot at the time.”</p> <p>“Cheryl ended up wearing my knickers,” John explained, adding that it only made sense, because his clothes had actually been available.</p> <p>"I've put a pair on, but the only thing is, I couldn't fill out the little pouch in the front," Cheryl added.</p> <p>When the staff were unable to locate her bag on the second day of the trip, they offered to wash her one outfit for her. Every morning, they would drop by, collect her things, and take them off to wash and dry. </p> <p>While this ensured Cheryl had clean clothes to wear each day, it also meant she started them with three hours sitting in her cabin and waiting. </p> <p>“They [would] give Cheryl a t-shirt and a dressing gown,” John explained, “so for the first sort of three hours each day, we're sitting in the room waiting for the clothes to come back.”</p> <p>In the time since, Cheryl has tried to find humour in the whole situation, though she certainly hadn’t even been able to consider it at the time. </p> <p>It wasn’t the first time the couple had set out on a cruise, it was just the first that their belongings hadn’t made it along with them. </p> <p>“They did say it was very unusual for a suitcase not to turn up at all,” Cheryl noted. </p> <p>“For quite a bit of time we felt that it had been stolen because they'd searched the ship," John said. </p> <p>And, in timing that came as no help to the cruising couple, Cheryl’s bag turned up the very day after they’d arrived back in Sydney. </p> <p>To make matters even worse, it had been onboard the whole time.</p> <p>As John put it, “it had been on [the] boat all the time and they say, 'well, that's okay, you've got your case back'.”</p> <p>Royal Caribbean have since issued a statement in apology, writing that they “sincerely apologise for misplacing Mr and Mrs Stuchbery's luggage. During their cruise, Mr and Mrs Stuchbery were provided with complimentary express laundry, an onboard credit to assist with purchasing incidental items, and specialty dining. </p> <p>“The luggage was located on return to Sydney and Mr and Mrs Stuchbery have been offered additional compensation and documentation to support a claim via their travel insurance.”</p> <p>But it hasn’t done anything to help the sour taste of the whole ordeal left in the Stuchbery’s mouths, with Cheryl declaring that she still “feel[s] very angry.” </p> <p><em>Images: A Current Affair / Nine</em></p>

Cruising

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Sam Neill's warning to single women

<p>Actor Sam Neill has issued a warning to women everywhere, cautioning them against a devious "online love scam" that is using his name and photo. </p> <p>The 75-year-old shared the warning to his Instagram followers on Thursday, telling people to be wary of scams that use the promise of romance as a means to rob money from victims in search of companionship. </p> <p>The post, written on behalf of Sam by his assistant, Lauren, said that scammers having been posing as Sam and contacting fans over social media.</p> <p>Lauren explained that this was impossible, as the actor does not have a private account and "does not keep secrets" from his social media team.</p> <p>"Sam has asked me to post on here to share with his followers an idea of the number of fake Sam Neill accounts out there on Instagram," it said.</p> <p>"The ONLY real Sam Neill account is this one - with the blue verified tick," the message continued.</p> <p>Included in the post was a screen grab of Sam's Instagram with a red marker circling the star's account and the message, "Warning".</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIsALtyfzw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIsALtyfzw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by SamNeillTheProp (@samneilltheprop)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I’m saddened by the stories I hear every day of people who have fallen victim to these disgraceful, despicable scammers. Their sole purpose is exploiting peoples weaknesses and lonely hearts. It’s shameful and disgusting and both Sam and I are committed to bringing this to light," Lauren continued. </p> <p>"Please, please check for the blue tick. If the account doesn’t have it, but has Sam’s name, you know it’s a fake."</p> <p>Lauren explained that the scammers after often pedalling get-rich-quick cryptocurrency schemes, while most of them are offering a romantic relationship. </p> <p>"He definitely isn't having an online romantic relationship with you," Sam's assistant messaged on behalf of the star.</p> <p>"That's the trash bag scammer wasting your time, potentially breaking your heart and disappearing with your money!"</p> <p>Followers were grateful for the warning, with one comment reading, "Please continue to report the fake accounts that contact you. It helps a lot and will continue to make Instagram a safer place for everyone."</p> <p>Others didn't take the warning too seriously, with many of his followers keen to poke fun at the scammers.</p> <p>One person said, "Who the hell have I been sending all those nudes to?"</p> <p>"Wait, you mean the message he sent me asking me to send him bitcoin to be in a Jurassic Park movie wasn't real?" said another, before adding, "Well, this is awkward!"</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Things you should never say to a single friend

<h2>“But you’re so gorgeous!”</h2> <p>Although you might offer a compliment like this thinking it will boost your single friend’s spirits, it could be interpreted in a way that’s actually insulting on a much deeper level. Specifically, it could be read to imply the reason they’re single lies beyond surface appearances, and might be down to some flaw in character or personality. Contrary to popular opinion, beauty and charm aren’t a protective shield against feelings of loneliness, nor do they provide an advantage in the gamble we know as ‘finding a suitable match.’ Your friend’s attractiveness may spark the initial interest of a romantic partner, but it ultimately doesn’t improve their chances of a successful, long-lasting, or meaningful relationship.</p> <h2>“Don’t worry – you’ve still got lots of time.”</h2> <p>One sure-fire way to make a single friend anxious about getting older is to remind them that somewhere, a clock is ticking. Although this comment often comes from a good place (it’s meant to reassure and comfort), it can actually make things worse simply by assuming that your single friend feels some sort of pressure to meet an (imaginary) deadline.</p> <h2>“I’ll tell you what the problem is…”</h2> <p>Just… Don’t. Any comment that begins with “I’ll tell you what the problem is…” gives you an air of omniscience over your single friend’s problems and personality. Finding a potential partner and building a fruitful and intimate relationship is never going to be easy (for anyone!), and there’s never just one reason a perennially single friend remains single. Judgmental, over-simplified statements like these not only ignore the delicate nuances of your friend’s situation, but also make the fundamental faux pas of suggesting that being single itself is a problem.</p> <h2>“Are we ever going to see a ring on that finger?”</h2> <p>Perhaps you should instead be asking yourself, “Are you ever going to see that person as a complete human being in the absence of a ring?” The question, “Are we ever going to see a ring on that finger?” implies that, without the ring, your friend is pitiable, or in some way, not whole. While most of us do long for a happy, meaningful romantic relationship with another person, the fact of the matter is, some people don’t: they either feel no romantic compulsions whatsoever, or feel fulfillment even without a partner. As the British poet and activist Warsan Shire so beautifully put, ‘My alone feels so good, I’ll only have you if you’re sweeter than my solitude.’</p> <h2>“I’ve got the perfect guy for you!”</h2> <p>Let’s be clear: there’s nothing inherently sinister about wanting to play matchmaker. In fact, provided you’ve got the best intentions, it can even be admirable. However, before saying this to a single friend, you might first confirm that your friend is open to meeting people and dating. There are any number of reasons that a friend might not be interested in pursuing a relationship at the moment, and having a deep and open conversation about those reasons can often be more helpful than pairing them off with (your idea of!) the perfect match.</p> <h2>“You’re just too picky.”</h2> <p>It’s true – some of us put up barriers that prevent us from finding lasting love. It’s important to remember, however, that those barriers tend to have been put up in response to some kind of trauma that we’ve endured. With this in mind, try cultivating an empathetic perspective (putting yourself in your friend’s shoes) rather than a critical one (seeking to lay the blame).</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/things-you-should-never-say-to-a-single-friend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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Everyday items to come with $11,000 fine under incoming plastic ban

<p dir="ltr">Beginning in November, a new law will see single-use plastic items outlawed in NSW - with anyone caught supplying them risking a potential $11,000 fine.</p> <p dir="ltr">The statewide move will be the second stage of the government’s crackdown on single-use items, which aims to stop 2.7 billion of these items from ending up in our natural environment over the next 20 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">From November 1, single-use straws, stirrers, plastic cutlery, plates, bowls without spill-proof lids, and foodware and cups made from EPS (expanded polystyrene) will be prohibited, in a switch that has been welcomed by restaurant owners.</p> <p dir="ltr">Single-use chopsticks, food picks, plastic-stemmed cotton buds, and personal care products that contain plastic microbeads, such as cleansers, exfoliants, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the ban applying to retail and hospitality business, as well as charities and individuals undertaking activities for sporting, education or community purposes, there are some instances where the ban doesn’t apply.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-281492ca-7fff-b09e-3bcd-3441c254abdf"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Pre-packaged items where plastic items are integrated into the packing through an automated process, such as plastic straws attached to juice boxes or plastic bowls in frozen meals, won’t be affected by the ban, nor will using EPS trays for raw meat, seafood, fruit or vegetables.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/plastic-ban-nsw.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NSW Government</em></p> <p dir="ltr">People with a disability or medical need will also be allowed to use single-use plastic straws, but businesses mustn’t make the straws accessible to customers or display them.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for those who don’t follow the new rules, a NSW EPA spokesperson told <em>7News </em>that financial penalties would be applied on a case-by-case basis.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, individual suppliers such as sole traders could be issued with a $2750 “on-the-spot fine” or $11,000 court penalty, while corporations face a maximum penalty of $55,000, and manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors face $110,000 fines.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ahead of the change, James Griffin and Mark Coure, the NSW Environment Minister and Multiculturalism Minister respectively, have spoken to 43,000 businesses to ensure small businesses are supported through the transition.</p> <p dir="ltr">“(We’ve been trying) to help educate them about the change that’s coming, and provide them easy instructions on easy alternatives that are easier for the environment,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">While some businesses have taken the financial hit of changing from single-use plastic to more eco-friendly options, which are often more expensive than plastic, some customers may see prices increase following the change.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes after NSW banned lightweight plastic shopping bags, including biodegradable, compostable and bio-plastic bags, earlier this year, bringing with it a fine of up to $275,000 for retailers who continued to provide them.</p> <p dir="ltr">NSW isn’t the only state on its way to phasing out single-use plastics either, as each state has its own roadmap towards a plastic-free future.</p> <p dir="ltr">With most of these roadmaps launching last year, it’s expected that many will be fully implemented by 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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This single spending habit could threaten your savings

<p dir="ltr">As inflation rates hit record highs - at 7.75 percent for Australia and 7.3 percent for New Zealand - many are finding their savings are taking a hit under the soaring cost of living.</p> <p dir="ltr">But it isn’t just rising fuel and food prices you need to worry about, according to ANZ Plus team member Danielle Curry.</p> <p dir="ltr">In fact, there’s one commonly forgotten expense that’s making staying on top of our finances even trickier: phone apps.</p> <p dir="ltr">Apps like Uber Eats, Afterpay services, and those for your favourite stores, along with “must-have” shopping trends are making it so that mobile apps are driving our desire to spend money easily and beyond our means.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to new research from ANZ Plus, over recent years Aussies have consistently “overspent” the most on eating out and takeaway, with 53 percent noting that their top expenses were food-related.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s this real immediacy of spending that is becoming very normal for Australians,” Ms Curry told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/budgeting/out-of-control-the-spending-habit-threatening-your-savings/news-story/f38d98db818c8f01191a4069106eb6af" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And especially during the pandemic, we saw a lot of restaurants convert to home delivery services so people were still ‘eating out’ but just a bit differently.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A noticeable surge in online shopping and subscribing to streaming services also coincided with thousands starting to work from home during pandemic-induced lockdowns, accounting for Aussies’ overspending by 35 percent and 19 percent respectively.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And with the advent of things like buy now, pay later services it has really allowed that real immediacy of spending,” Ms Curry added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Twenty years ago you couldn’t order something from Amazon and have it arrive the next day … so if you’re not tracking your expenses, are you really sure exactly how much you’re spending on things like Amazon?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Curry said one of the most concerning findings from the research was that a third of Ausies struggle to manage their finances, with 1.5 million of those surveyed admitting they “don’t feel in control of their money at all”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though data from Westpac suggests that the average Australian has around $22,000 in savings, big savers that skew the data means that a more realistic figure is closer to $3500.</p> <p dir="ltr">In response to skyrocketing electricity bills and other living expenses, many have chosen to cut down on “unnecessary expenses” and try to save any way they can.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Curry said that even though most are trying to make ends meet, poor budgeting skills could leave many blindsided.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We know that a lot of people don’t feel in control and it’s because they don’t have the knowledge about their own finances,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But the first thing to understand is that it’s going to be different for every single Australian … and it’s important that everyone understands their own situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“(It’s different) for some who might be financially struggling to make ends meet has to make choices between food and the electricity bill versus someone who is financially comfortable and is quite able to make a luxury purchase.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But, there are some ways we can take back control of our finances, such as tagging and categorising your spending through your banking app.</p> <p dir="ltr">This can help you identify “unnecessary” or passive purchases that can be stopped, such as forgotten subscriptions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Everyone is at a different stage in their lives and make custom everyday expenses,” Ms Perez said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“(But) once we can really understand what we’re doing with that money we can see if there are trade-offs … to find that extra five dollars to add towards our savings.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Digital budgeting apps and tracking tools, including those offered in banking apps can also help you set up savings goals, a budget, and a savings buffer based on your financial situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Using these kinds of nifty features that we’ve got around expense categorisation and setting up savings goals, really help push your finances to the next level,” Ms Curry said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-587d039a-7fff-d6bb-bc0c-b218a9d62332"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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8 clever ways to use a single sock

<p>If you often end up with odd socks after doing the washing, you’ll be pleased to know that they can find a new use around the house.</p> <p><strong>1. Protect shoes</strong></p> <p>Keep your shoes stored inside socks when you are packing your suitcase. Not only will this keep high heels or dress shoes in better condition, it will also protect your clothes from any mud on the soles of your running shoes.</p> <p><strong>2. Keep your wardrobe fresh</strong></p> <p>Fill a sock with dry coffee grounds, tie a knot in the top, and hang it up in your wardrobe. It will absorb any musty smells from the area.</p> <p><strong>3. Buff and shine your car</strong></p> <p>A sock works better than a rag to wax the car, as you can slip your hand inside and use it like a cleaning glove.</p> <p><strong>4. Remove spider webs</strong></p> <p>Slip a sock over your broom and use it to get rid of hard to reach cobwebs - without ruining your broom.</p> <p><strong>5. Keep your mobile safe</strong></p> <p>If you’re going camping, hiking, or doing some work outdoors you can protect your phone by storing it in a sock in your pocket.</p> <p><strong>6. Remove dust from indoor plants</strong></p> <p>Place a sock on your hand and sprinkle a little water on it. Use it to buff and shine the leaves of your indoor plants.</p> <p><strong>7. Use socks for moving breakables</strong></p> <p>When packing to move house, slip anything in a sock that you’re worried about getting broken or scratched. Think small vases or glass salt and peppershakers.</p> <p><strong>8. Get rid of dust from the blinds</strong></p> <p>Dampen a sock and place on your hand to get rid of dirt and dust from blinds.</p> <p>Have we missed any great uses for a sock that you would like to share with us in the comments below?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/remove-wrinkles-from-clothes-no-iron/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How to remove wrinkles from your clothes without an iron</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/the-secret-to-keeping-your-whites-white/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The secret to keeping your whites white</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/8-top-laundry-tricks/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 tricks that will change the way you do laundry forever</strong></em></span></a></p>

Home & Garden

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3 very good reasons to try a senior singles cruise

<p>Sometimes the most rewarding things we do in life are those that force us to get out of our comfort zone. Whilst the thought of going on a cruise by yourself might be terrifying, all the other passengers onboard will be in the same boat. Here are some of the great benefits of embarking on a senior singles cruise.</p> <p><strong>1.  Meet new people</strong></p> <p>Whether you end up finding love on the cruise or not, you will have the opportunity to meet plenty of people who are in the same season as life as you. If you don’t meet a partner, you could still end up finding terrific friends. Singles cruises are very social, so expect to meet new people on a day-to-day basis. Singles cruises will strategically help you form friendships with fun classes, social mixers and seating at mealtime.</p> <p><strong>2. Same motives</strong></p> <p>Singles cruises are exclusive to singles so all passengers can have an opportunity to find love. While enjoying the ocean views and blue skies, whoever you come across you will know they are on the cruise as the same reason as you – to meet someone new in an exciting way!  Knowing that everyone on board is single, will help you know that whoever catches your eye is open to starting a relationship.</p> <p><strong>3.  Fun environment</strong></p> <p>Whatever way you like to have fun, whether that be pottery or dance classes or playing golf, senior singles cruises have it all. If you find someone on board, you have a list of great date activities that you can do together as you get to know them. If you are finding it hard to strike up a conversation with someone or feel like you are getting lost in the crowd, you can do a social activity to get out of your cabin.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Cruising

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30-year-old single mum shamed for still living with her mother

<p>A 30-year-old woman has defended her choice to live at her mum’s house with her daughter following cruel trolls saying she should be “embarrassed”.</p> <p>Opening up about her living arrangement, the mum-of-one, Maggie says she doesn’t care about awful comments and plans to stay there “forever”, with her daughter Savvy.</p> <p>Posting a short video to her TikTok account, Maggie told her 10,000 followers what she often hears when people discover her situation.</p> <p>Over the top of a video that showed her holding Savvy in her arms, she wrote: “Are you embarrassed that you live at your parents with a baby at 30.”</p> <p>Hitting back, the young mother then shared a video of her and her daughter dancing and typed: “My mom’s house… and all the love my daughter gets here.”</p> <p>She then followed up her sentiments in the caption as she posted: “I turn 31 in 2 weeks and I told my mom that we’re going to live with her the rest of her life.”</p> <p>As well as enjoying spending time at her mum’s home, she added there was a further reason that she refuses to move out, sharing that the family have recently lost their father. </p> <p>Proving her point, insensitive trolls flocked to the comment section to have their say.</p> <p>One wrote: “Just sad. You’re too old.”</p> <p>Another added: “RIDICULOUS and embarrassing.”</p> <p>Fortunately, others were more sympathetic to Maggie and Savvy’s situation and praised her, saying they’d do exactly the same.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Woman wakes from coma to find she is now single

<p>An Australian woman has gone viral after revealing how her fiance left her for another woman while she was in a coma for three months.</p> <p>Brie Duval, 25, was living in Canada when her life took a horrific turn in 2020. She was out with friends when she fell off a 10m retaining wall, crashing headfirst onto the pavement.</p> <p>The 25-year-old was left with a brain injury and several broken bones and was flown to the University of Alberta Hospital where she was placed on life support in the ICU.</p> <p>Brie’s parents refused to turn off her life support and she miraculously began to show signs of improvement, waking up after three months. Additionally, Brie also suffered from post-traumatic amnesia, forgetting “simple things” like her passwords and address, she ended up remaining in hospital for an extra five months.</p> <p>Once she was able to remember day-to-day things, she was given back her phone and her first thought was to call her fiancé, as he hadn’t been with her in the hospital.</p> <p>That’s when she discovered her boyfriend of four years had moved in with another woman.</p> <p>In a TikTok that has been viewed two million times, Brie explained that when she went to call him for the first time after “finally” waking up from her coma, she found a text on her phone from another woman.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@hotcomagirl1/video/7103109625695784194" data-video-id="7103109625695784194"> <section><a title="@hotcomagirl1" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hotcomagirl1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@hotcomagirl1</a> Real coma experience vs. senior year coma experience! <a title="fyp" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#fyp</a> <a title="coma" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/coma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#coma</a> <a title="braininjuryawareness" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/braininjuryawareness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#braininjuryawareness</a> <a title="braininjurysurvivor" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/braininjurysurvivor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#braininjurysurvivor</a> <a title="♬ original sound - HotComaGirl113" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7103109615402912513" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - HotComaGirl113</a></section> </blockquote> <p>He also blocked her on all his social media accounts with the young woman claiming she hadn’t heard from her former fiance now in 11 months.</p> <p>“He doesn’t care that you nearly died with a 10% chance of living, but you know, at least he’s happy,” she continued.</p> <p>Brie’s video was immediately flooded with thousands of comments from other users also shocked by her fiance’s actions.</p> <p>Overwhelmed by all the support, Brie jumped into the comments section to thank viewers.</p> <p>“Thank you all for this support! I’ve had such a hard time and all of this love means the world,” she wrote.</p> <p>It prompted her to share several other videos, with one clarifying how exactly she fell.</p> <p>“So I did still plummet headfirst into concrete and go into a coma, I just wasn’t on a rooftop bar. I just said that because it was easier in the story to say rooftop bar.”</p> <p>If the news of her fiance wasn’t bad enough, given her freak accident happened at the height of the pandemic, her parents were unable to visit her in Canada, due to restrictions in Australia.</p> <p>“They told my mum that I had a 10 per cent chance of living and that she should get over to Canada as soon as she could because things weren’t looking good.”</p> <p>“My mum and dad went to the government and asked for special permission to say goodbye to me as things were bad at that point. They refused them, they would not give them a chance and they would not give them a reason, they just flat out said no.</p> <p>“So my mum told doctors in Canada to keep my life support on and do not under any circumstances turn that off, which they had to medically abide by.”</p> <p>Brie told the publication the incident made her realise she never wants to be apart from her family again and she has since moved back to Australia to be near them.</p> <p>The recovery process for Brie is ongoing as she continues to learn to live with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).</p> <p>“Getting back to normal life, just trying to establish what my new normal is – I couldn’t swallow when I first woke up. I’ve had to try and learn how to walk again – from my waist down to my toes, it feels like it’s gone dead,” she told the publication.</p> <p>She continues to share videos to raise awareness of what it’s like to live with a TBI.</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

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“She was enough for me”: Albo makes Grace Tame cry

<p dir="ltr">Anthony Albanese triggered an emotional reaction in Grace Tame and her fiance during a heartbreaking conversation about being raised by a single mum.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Tame asked Mr Albanese for an example of someone who shaped his “views on gender issues and policy” during an interview for <em><a href="https://instyleaustralia.com.au/anthony-albanese-grace-tame-in-conversation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InStyle Australia</a></em>, and his poignant response brought her to tears.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanaese explained that when his mother was pregnant with him out of wedlock in 1963, “the fashion of the day” was that neither parent would keep the baby.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was going to have got the news that my father had died and then lost the baby and I was going to be adopted out,” Mr Albanese told Ms Tame.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9b558776-7fff-3f01-d218-fba62be1b942"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Because in 1963, when I was born, it was acceptable to be a widow but it wasn’t acceptable to be an unmarried mother.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc4EPlVhyv7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc4EPlVhyv7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anthony Albanese (@albomp)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Despite this, his mother decided to give the future Labor leader his dad’s last name and raise him on her own, even as his father told her he planned to marry someone else from his home town in Italy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now she was a strong woman who made the decision to have me, and to raise me by herself,” he continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She worked originally when I was a bub, cleaning office buildings at night, looking after me during the day, she then had rheumatoid arthritis and was really crippled up.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, he said he and his mother were “particularly close”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So it was just me and her - and a two-person family, I think, is particularly close. It’s one of the things that has focused me and a part of who I am,” Mr Albanese said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She always respected everyone and I grew up with the confidence of having a mum who lived a lot of her aspirations through me. She couldn’t work. And so she’s the most important role model in my life and she’s very much still part of who I am today.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When he saw Ms Tame and Mr Heerey were in tears, Albanese quickly apologised.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you there,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No it’s just, yeah, I respect that so much,” she replied, laughing and crying, before looking off camera and laughing when she realised her fiance had also become emotional.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-58e7a23b-7fff-5915-13e8-b454ea5e97ea"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Max is crying! Oh, I want to give you a hug,” she said.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cc4HTK8Bsaa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cc4HTK8Bsaa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by InStyle Australia (@instyleaus)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese then elaborated on his experience by referring to the common argument that a family needs both parents used to oppose marriage equality.</p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the things that some of the opponents said was, you know, you need a mum, a dad and two kids - that’s a family, I hear that message and go well, hang on, you know, families are diverse and made up of all sorts of different groups,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“People are different. Relationships are complex. The one thing that really, really matters - the essential ingredient - is love.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Albanese also explained how he waited until his mother passed away to look for his father “because I didn’t want her to think that she wasn’t enough”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Because she was enough for me,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Tame also shared insights about how being surrounded by strong women while growing up gave her a lot of the courage and strength she now had.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And all I knew was strong women. All around me, all the time. We had a trans family member; I knew diversity, I lived and breathed diversity,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She added that would likely be processing his story and will “probably go and cry about it later and I’m not ashamed of that”.</p> <p dir="ltr">When Mr Albanese conceded he had “done okay” in his life, Ms Tame emphasised that he had done “better than okay”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A lot of respect for you, Anthony,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2ffea9fb-7fff-7654-dfdd-ce98ca22e90e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @instyleaus (Instagram)</em></p>

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