I met my first boyfriend when I was 13 years old. He became my first love, my best friend, my husband, and the father of our two children. Forty years of friendship and 28 years of marriage later, it was over. At 53 years old, I found myself single and living alone for the first time in my life. I had never dated. I had never navigated adulthood on my own. I had never imagined a future that didn't include him.
Like many women, I spent years focusing on what happened to my marriage. Yes, infidelity played a role. But with time, healing, and honest reflection, I realized that wasn't the entire story. The truth is, we evolved as individuals, but not as a couple. We became experts at going through the motions — raising our children, handling responsibilities, and pretending everything was okay while quietly drifting further apart. Neither of us wanted to face what was happening. To cope, he chose affairs. I chose food. Neither of us chose each other.
When my marriage ended, I wasn't just grieving a relationship. I was grieving the future I thought I would have. At the same time, I was carrying over 100 extra pounds, struggling with health challenges, battling depression, and living with little to no self-esteem. I didn't know who I was anymore. I didn't know my worth.
Then one day, my best friend Sandy said something that would change the trajectory of my life: "Knowing your worth is the first step toward healing." Those words stopped me in my tracks. Because the truth was, I didn't know my worth. Somewhere along the way, I had become so focused on taking care of everyone else that I had forgotten how to care for myself. That realization became the beginning of my rebuild.
I began focusing on my health. I strengthened my faith. I changed my mindset. I learned to see myself the way God sees me. Little by little, I stopped surviving and started living. I discovered that starting over isn't a punishment. It's an invitation — an invitation to heal, to grow, to become the woman God created me to be.
Today, when I look in the mirror, I see more than a physical transformation. I see a woman who chose herself. A woman who learned her worth. A woman who found purpose in her pain. A woman who gave God her yes.
Today, through BestLife Reinvention Coaching and The Rebuild Coaching Program™, I help women of faith over 50 who are navigating divorce, life transitions, and new beginnings. I help them honor their worth, walk in their purpose, and create a vision for the next chapter of their lives. Because I've learned something powerful: your story is not over. Your best life may still be ahead of you.
