Mia Brooks

Age 53

My favorite thing about being over 40 is the knowledge that I have gained throughout the years. I am more secure about who I am and what I want. I am also better at balancing work, family, friends, and other responsibilities. In the past 5o+years, I have experienced many challenges, disappointments, losses, and heartache, but all those life experiences have made me a stronger, wiser, more patient, and caring person. I’ve learned that my needs are as important as others’ and if I don’t take care of myself, I won’t be able to take care of anyone else.

I am living my most extraordinary life right now by surrounding myself with wonderful friends that support and love me, sharing my life with a partner that is patient, kind, and my best friend, spending time with my parents and pets, going on fun vacations, pursuing the career I want, and giving myself the permission to do things for myself that I would not in the past. I feel extremely blessed and thankful for the life today that I worked hard for.

In the next decade, I aspire to gain the financial security I need to be able to retire at the age of 65. In the past I was a single mom and battled breast cancer but now I can focus on what I need to do to retire. Another aspiration is to be healthier and more physically fit. I want to plan healthy meals for the week and develop an exercise routine that can fit into my schedule. I think it is more important than ever make time to work out and stay strong as I get older.

When I saw my portraits for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised to see myself in a different light. It hasn’t been easy to embrace the physical changes I have experienced as I age and can be critical of my appearance, but Karianne was so much fun to work with during my photo shoot and I think it shows in my pictures. She made me feel comfortable, beautiful, and brought out sides of me that I haven’t seen in a while.