By Melinda Castillo

At 47, many women are settling into routines, careers, family, or preparing for a quieter life. But me? I’m starting over. Not because I have to, but because I finally want to.

For more than two decades, profession as an Interior Designer put to the side. I poured my energy into being a mother and a wife.

Taking care of the children, nurtured them, the one who made sure everyone else was okay. But somewhere along the way, I forgot to ask myself: Am I okay?

I wasn’t sure.

This year, something shifted. I looked in the mirror and didn’t just see wrinkles or tired eyes . I saw a woman who had given everything and was ready to give something back to herself.

Because 47, menopausal, isn’t the end of anything , it’s the beginning of me.
This isn’t about chasing a new identity or midlife crisis. It’s about remembering the woman I left behind when I became a mother, a homemaker, a helper to everyone but myself.

I’m no longer waiting for the “right time.” I am the right time.

What Self-Love Looks Like in Midlife

Self-love used to sound fluffy or should I say corny to me , like bubble baths and candles, LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH wall decors. lol. But now, it means:

• Listening to what I truly want
• Allowing myself to grow and try again
• Accepting the fact that I am no longer as beautiful
• Letting go of guilt for doing something just for me

Sometimes it looks like walking away from expectations…
Other times it just means giving myself grace when I feel lost or overwhelmed.

Somedays it feels selfish.

Again, this Isn’t a Crisis. It’s a Comeback

Society calls it a “midlife crisis.” I call it a midlife awakening.
We are not past our prime but we’re ripening into women who finally get to choose what life looks like on our own terms.

And it’s beautiful.

To Any Woman Reading This

If you’ve ever felt like your identity got buried beneath loving, caregiving, responsibility, or age…
If you’ve ever whispered to yourself, “I miss me,”…
Then this space is for you.

I’m just beginning, but I already know this: it’s not too late. It’s exactly the right time to reclaim who you are.

Let’s walk this together sister.

Have you ever felt the need to start again? Leave a comment I’d love to hear your story.