It is very telling what we don’t hear in eulogies. We almost never hear things like: “The crowning achievement of his life was when he made senior vice president.” Or: “He increased market share for his company multiple times during his tenure.” Or: “She never stopped working. She ate lunch at her desk. Every day.” Or: “He never made it to his kid’s Little League games because he always had to go over those figures one more time.” Or: “While she didn’t have any real friends, she had six hundred Facebook friends, and she dealt with every email in her inbox every night.”... Our eulogies are always about the other stuff: what we gave, how we connected, how much we meant to our family and friends, small kindnesses, lifelong passions, and the things that made us laugh.”
To kick off the December issue of GRACE magazine (read it here), I wanted to share a moving extract from a book I just finished reading: Arianna Huffington’s Thrive. The deeply personal book is based around our perceived meaning of success and as the year comes to a close, it’s a time of reflection. Have you ever thought about what success means to you? I often think about it. And over the years, my answer has always differed slightly. Four years ago when I became a mother, success suddenly wasn’t about work at all. Motherhood gives you such clarity on life. Yes my career is important, but friends and family are everything in life. Speaking of family, I’m thrilled to have the gorgeous Waterhouse women on this month’s cover. Racing royalty, Kate and Hoda are undeniably Australia’s most stylish sisters-in-law and in the last few years, have both become mothers. Kate’s baby girl Grace (how fitting) is just four-months-old. We’ve also interviewed Hong Kong-based mother of two Alex Shaw, an extraordinary woman who 10 years ago, established The Andrew Woinarski School Foundation shortly after the loss of her brother Andrew Woinarski. To date, with the help of a wonderful charity called Child’s Dream, the Foundation has funded 10 schools, which provide education to over 1,500 students throughout Asia. She’s such an inspiration and I hope you find her story as moving as I did. We also visit the fabulous fashion designer Alice McCall at home with her two girls, go inside florist Myra Perez’s studio and much more. Thank you to everyone who worked on this beautiful issue. We’re thrilled (and relieved) to launch our second issue! Merry Christmas and enjoy the festive season! Georgie x Go to www.grace-magazine.com
Photograph: Julie Adams | Fashion editor: Viva Vayspap | Hair: Paloma Rose Garcia from Oscar Oscar Salon in Paddington | Makeup: Isabella Schimid | Art director: Racquel Thomas