EDITOR’S LETTER: from The Weekly’s Sarah Henry

Inever remember what day I’m meant to put my garden waste bin out. I regularly have to refer to a picture on my phone to remind me of my car licence plate details. I’ve been guilty of failing to acknowledge a family member’s birthday because it “slipped my mind”, and there are times when I must pause and think when someone asks my age (it’s 43, for the record). The other day, I had to ring the IT support desk and admit I couldn’t remember the password for my work computer – a password I input at least 20 times a day!

But ask me how long Prince William and Duchess Catherine have been married (10 years) or the date of their royal wedding and I will rattle if off without hesitation – April 29, 2011. It’s the same year I became a first-time mother. In many ways, it seems like such a long time ago, yet equally that decade has passed in a flash. As they say, once you become a parent, the days are long, but the years are short!

I may not be able to remember that I need to buy dishwash or pay for the school trip, but I can recall every minute of that wedding. I’d decided to watch the historic event with a dear friend and former magazine editor who had mentored me throughout my journalism career. If anyone loved a royal wedding more than me, it was her.

My precious son was just a few weeks old and it was the first time I was taking him out at night. I spent all day packing the car with baby essentials and prayed the child would follow his night-time routine. Normally when you get to this part of the story, you expect disaster to strike, but Son-Shine was a dream – he smiled on cue and then slept like a baby. I got to watch the ceremony and lap up every beautiful detail in peace.

I’m sure William and Catherine would have been looking forward to celebrating their special anniversary, and are saddened the happy time has been marred by the troubles their family is currently facing. If they didn’t feel pressure the day they walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey, then you can bet they’re feeling it now.

Happy reading.

PS: We’ve got a great feature on memory starting on page 58.

See, it’s not just me!