Six months ago, I sat in my doctor’s office expecting to be told what most women in their mid-40s hear at some point: that perimenopause had arrived with its grab-bag of inconvenient symptoms: hot flushes, fatigue and brain fog. I had been chalking it all up to hormones, stress and the chaos of solo parenting two young children during the week while juggling a career.
But my bloodwork suggested something else. “It could be stress,” my doctor said, “or it could be a brain tumour.”
I laughed, awkwardly. To me, the answer was obvious. Of course it was stress. Of course it was the daily grind, the late nights, the early mornings, the endless balancing act. Tumour wasn’t even in my vocabulary. Until, of course, it was.
That Sunday, the phone rang. The MRI had confirmed it: a small tumour. Benign, but misbehaving.
The unexpected clarity of a scare
The word “tumour” has a way of clearing out mental clutter. Suddenly, the emails, the toys scattered on the floor, the unsent school parent WhatsApp group replies – all the things I normally obsessed over – melted into the background. What stayed was stark and simple: my children, my health, my life.
My husband and I packed up the kids and drove to Ras Al Khaimah. Enjoyed the mangroves, the quiet, the sunsets.
I began treatment when we returned. Medication shrank the tumour and stabilised my hormones, though the dizziness I experienced left me questioning whether to keep pushing through as I always had. For years, I had worn busyness like armour, priding myself on coping no matter what. But here was something larger at play, a message from the universe: I had been taking my body, and my time on this earth, for granted.
It wasn’t a tragedy. It was a wake-up call.
Lessons I wish I’d learnt earlier
This is not a “woe is me” story. It’s a gratitude story. Because six months on, my treatment has worked. The tumour shrank. I am healthy, lucky and aware in a way I wasn’t before. And I find myself wanting to tell my younger self, and maybe even you, what I now know deep in my bones.
Put the phone down. Life doesn’t exist in the scroll, it’s happening in the small, ordinary moments around us: the child who wants to show you their drawing, the sun streaming through the window, the cup of coffee still warm in your hands.
Don’t stress the small stuff. The things you’re agonising over – the messy house before visitors, morning rush hours and traffic jams, the work emails you haven’t answered – will not matter in a year. Control what you can, let go of what you can’t.
Spend time with the people you love. Don’t wait for the perfect free weekend or a holiday abroad. Connection happens in the here and now, over a shared meal, a walk, a laugh. You’ll also notice who shows up for you and who doesn’t. Believe that.
Be present. It sounds cliched, but presence is the currency of a life well lived. You can’t buy it back later.
Write down your life goals. Otherwise, they float away like daydreams. Believe… “you may say I'm a dreamer … but I'm not the only one”. More seriously, once they are on paper, you have something to steer towards.
Know what’s important. And prioritise it, unapologetically.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Rest is not laziness, it’s maintenance.
Don’t be afraid to say no. Equally, don’t be afraid to say yes. Sometimes the scariest word is exactly what’s needed.
Be kind. Always, to yourself and to others.
A gentler, braver way to live
I share these not because I think I’ve unlocked some secret wisdom. Far from it. I’m still juggling, still tired, still making mistakes. But the scare shook something loose. It reminded me that life is not a rehearsal, and that waiting for “the right time” is just another way of saying never.
There is no perfect balance between work, family and self. There is only the choice to live fully in whatever moment you’re given. Some days that will mean missing a call so you can eat pizza on the floor with your kids. Other days it might mean saying yes to a new adventure, even if it scares you.
Gratitude in the aftermath
I am lucky. I got the gentlest of nudges compared to what so many others endure. A tiny health scare that was resolved – I'm extremely grateful for that. But it was enough to tilt my perspective, to bring into focus what had been blurred by years of rushing and striving for success.
Because here’s the truth: we don’t have to wait for the crisis. We don’t have to be stuck. Life is ours for the taking – not in grand, dramatic gestures, but in the daily choice to show up, to notice, to love, to live.
And if my doctor’s phone call taught me anything, it’s this: start now.
My brain tumour is smaller, but my life, in a way, feels bigger.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
RACECARD
4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Napoleon
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
