Nicole Kidman is middle-aged. Yep, I’ve said it. The woman is getting on. It comes as a shock doesn’t it?

I know this because Nicole and I are the same age. At 46 we are at life’s midpoint. That’s providing we make it to 92, if we cark it earlier then we could right now be beyond the middle.

Funnily enough Nicole Kidman’s middle-age looks very different to mine.

Nicole’s translucent skin glows. Make-up companies pay her millions to use her image to sell their product.  My blotchy face has frequent outbursts of rosacea and in one of life’s cruel jokes, the odd pimple. Seriously, how can you be in your forties and still seeing pimples pop up? That’s just not fair people. I pay hundreds to the make-up companies in a bid to look like the Nicole Kidman in their advertisements.

Nicole’s pencil thin figure bounced back into place after giving birth to daughter Sunday five years ago. I’m aiming to lose my baby weight any day now. After all, my last baby is only 14. If I start now I’ll be only slightly overweight by the time she leaves home for uni.

Nicole has a red carpet fashion style admired the world over. I have a school gate fashion style whispered about at the tuckshop. C’mon guys trakkies, thongs and a breakfast-stained t-shirt are perfectly adequate when I’m simply tossing my children out of moving car, it’s not my fault the eldest forgot her laptop and I had to unexpectedly leave my vehicle to chase her down.

Nicole has an award-winning career. I wandered out of a job to find myself and now realise at my age I MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO GET A JOB AGAIN. However, I was once voted “most reliable” in my past employment. It’s not an Oscar but it’s still an AWARD.

Nicole is financially secure. I am not.

Does Nicole ever waste a day wondering how she ended with the life she has landed?  If, she’s got her own sliding door moments where she veered left instead of right and it could have been oh so different?

Do you think Nicole ever stops to consider half a lifetime has passed; the to-do list is still lengthy, the bucket list looking more urgent by the minute?

How does one wade through the murky waters of middle-age? Is it possible to reinvent oneself as children gain their independence and disappear leaving a bewildered woman wondering where the time went? Are dreams still doable when your resources are low? Can you finally live up to your potential when the retirement village looms ahead?

I bloody well hope it is possible. I’m determined to take the world by storm just as soon I find my glasses and the arthritis medication kicks in.