It’s November 4, 2004, and I’m three months shy of the proverbial “40th” birthday. But I am falling…falling…faster…and faster. The intense rush of air in my face takes my breath away. I am reaching terminal velocity at a rate of around 120 miles per hour. Finally, my chute opens and the rush is over. A sense of peace, calmness, and power take over my body. The ground approaches and I attack it with grace and confidence. I have arrived!

My skydiving adventure sums up the madness my 20’s and 30’s. These were two decades of my life where everything seemed to be one big rush. Rush to start my career after college; rush to find a husband, have a child, and keep up with the Joneses. Fun?- Sometimes. Stressful?- Absolutely!!!. Confidence?- Huh? What’s that? Beauty? - Who? Me?

THEN, the heavens finally opened because my 40’s arrived. Fun? Beyond imaginable. Stressful? – I got rid of most of that with my divorce. Confidence?- It oozes from every part of my body. Beauty? – I have never felt or looked better in my life!

My name is Tracy. I am a 42 year old healthy, sexy, mother of a beautiful child and proudly in the prime of my life. What I have learned most is that life experiences lead to confidence. That confidence gives me a sense of independence like I have never known before. Welcome to my own personal Renaissance! God Bless the 40’s!

-- Tracy S.