Mature Women Boudoir – Dawn

Introducing one of our lovely ladies from the  40 over 40 project!

 WHAT IS YOUR OCCUPATION? At the age of 40 I went back to college for 3 years and acquired a professional qualification in accountancy in 2005 after previously being a PA since leaving college. In 2012 I was diagnosed with a terminal disease, my only hope of survival was a major organ transplant which I was lucky enough to receive in 2017. Though eternally grateful, as I was close to death, my 8 days in ICU has left me with PTSD after all the nightmares I had whilst in ICU, which led me to believe I’d been abandoned in India for 7 years! Since then I haven’t managed to get back into work. Took me approximately 3 years to recover physically from the transplant, the mental scars remain as I still have the same nightmares and flashbacks. So, I suppose you could say I retired early 😊

HOW OLD ARE YOU – AND WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING YOUR AGE? I’m 62 at the moment and to be totally honest I consider myself incredibly lucky to be alive and well. I’ve been able to spend quality time with my grandchildren and absolutely love being a Nanna. My illness made it impossible to play with my granddaughter, but now I have 2 children, one of which I would never have known. I have an incredible bond now with both of my grandchildren. I’ve learnt to accept myself for who I am, warts and all. I can now say I am happy in my skin 😂

WHAT HARDSHIPS HAVE YOU ENDURED THAT YOU FEEL HAVE MADE YOU FEEL STRONGER? I suppose some would say I’ve gone through a lot! Four major abdominal surgeries, a marriage collapse and being a single mother to 3 boys. All of this has made me who I am today. I don’t think you can go through trauma without being changed. I try never to judge, I’m a good listener, a keeper of secrets and hopefully a good friend. I keep my circle of friends small, but every single one of them is valued immensely. I am strong now and believe I could weather anything that comes my way.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT? I apologise for all the medical bits, but to be honest, surviving my illness, going through a 12 hour operation and the nightmares of ICU, and coming out the other side is probably one of my greatest achievements. I knew I had to be strong to survive. Added to that bringing up 3 boys alone, who grew up to become wonderful, caring and thoughtful men is probably what I would consider my greatest achievement. To me family is very important, it’s everything.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? Having my family around me, my husband, my children and my grandchildren make everything worthwhile, loving and being loved in return means the world to me.

WHAT DO YOU TREASURE MOST? At the risk of repeating myself, family is everything to me and this includes my siblings and their children and grandchildren. We meet up once a year with everyone, including partners who may be coming into our family. Each year my siblings and I spend a week together away somewhere abroad, this year it was Gibraltar, going over shared memories and making new ones. I believe that memories are far more important than money or what money can buy. At the end of the day, once we’ve shuffled off of this mortal coil all that we have left are memories.

WHAT’S LEFT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? I’d like to go whale watching and next year myself, my husband along with my siblings and partners are going to Iceland and hopefully will see the Northern Lights, Thats something I’d love to see and been a long time in coming. I don’t have a lot of things on a ‘bucket list’ to be honest. I’m just incredibly lucky to be alive and would like to live to a grand old age.

WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE? To be honest, I don’t know what my greatest extravagance would be. But probably it’s me 😂 I spend quite a bit on myself as I like nice clothes and make up. Over the last couple of years my husband and I have done a bit of travelling, Estonia, Krakow, Bruges and Gibraltar and we intend to do more in the coming years. Once my husband retires we intend to buy a motor home and travel around Europe.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF? I like who I am, the person I’ve become but I’m not always happy with my weight, so I suppose I would change that, but nothing else, as I’ve said I’m happy in my skin now and suppose that comes with age.

WHAT IS A TRAIT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF? I’m a good friend, I’m caring, sometimes I feel I care too much. I’ll help anyone, in anyway I possibly can. I feel, after my transplant that as I’ve been incredibly lucky to still be alive, I need to ‘give back’. I’ve sponsored a hearing dog for 2 years as my great niece was born totally deaf, I buy Christmas gifts for children I don’t know. It’s hard to put into words how I feel, I think you have to have cheated death to understand that need.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR? Dying early, my disease has returned which, I didn’t expect. I want to live long enough to see my grandchildren become adults.

WHAT DO YOU MOST VALUE IN YOUR FRIENDS? Trust, I was very secretive about my diagnosis to those outside my circle of friends.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF? Keep going, you’re stronger than you realise.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO OR FAVOURITE QUOTE? Carpe Diem, Seize the Day

AND FINALLY…..HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTER YOUR  BOUDOIR SHOOT? Wonderful, though slightly anxious about the results. I’m not at all body confident in any way. I am, however excited to meet the others in this group.