Winner Week 1: Caroline Alexander
[ READ CAROLINE'S WINNING ESSAY ]Caroline Alexander, 43, was orphaned as a child and raised in different children's homes in England. At only 16, she escaped government care by marrying a young boy, only to divorce two years later. She moved to the United States in her early 20's and raised her two children by herself.
While Caroline says she has never been scared of aging, she's been frightened of death -- and faced it. She had a meningioma removed when she was 38 and survived the brain surgery.
Caroline has learned that you have to enjoy living in the moment. She looks at herself through her own eyes -- not anyone else's -- a philosophy she wants to pass on to her kids. Her advice to a younger woman: Don't worry so much. Trust in yourself. Don't get in your own way. Don't wait. Just do it.
Q&A WITH CAROLINE
What's your favorite pump-yourself-up song?
"It's My Life" by Bon Jovi
What do you cherish most?
My children.
What is the first thing you'd say people notice about you when they first meet you?
My friends have said they notice my clear skin.
Complete this sentence: Beauty is...
Confidence and Happiness
What item of clothing could you not live without? Why?
My Uggs! My feet are always cold.
What is your favorite...
Book/Author: Dr Zhivago, Boris Pasternak. Forever, Pete Hamill. Anything by Charles Dickens. The Notebook, Nicolas Sparks. (The list is long, I love to read)
Movie: "It's a Wonderful Life"
TV Show: House
Activity: Reading. Painting with oils. Travelling.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Going to the movies on a sunny day.
What did you do on your 40th birthday?
My birthday is on Christmas Day so I celebrated at home with my family.
What do you want to be doing on your 50th birthday?
Traveling
What's the best mistake you ever made?
Being an over protective parent.
What's the smartest thing you've ever done?
Forgiven myself.
What is the best thing about being in your 40s?
Confidence. Knowing what you like and what you don't.
What have you discovered about yourself now that you are in your 40s that you didn't know about yourself when you were younger?
How much courage I have.
What advice would you give to women who are about to turn 40?
Don't fight it. Evolve gracefully. Look at yourself through your own eyes and not through the eyes of others and celebrate the things you do like about yourself.
Do you have a mentor? If so, tell us how you met him/her, what they've taught you, etc.
The last children's home that I was in when I was a child was run by a couple called Mr. and Mrs. Kehoe. We called Mr. Kehoe "Pop." He would tell me that once I was out of Government care, I was in charge of my destiny and not to be afraid to dream and then go get that dream. I will never forget that ever.
Are you a mentor to someone? If so, tell us about that.
I was a volunteer at a children's home here in LA for 15 years and through those years have met some wonderful teenage girls and would like to think that I made a difference in their lives.
What won't you do now that you would have done in your 20s?
Ride my motorcycle. (It's too crazy out there
CAROLINE'S WINNING ESSAY
[ BACK TO TOP ]"Hi there, my name is Caroline Alexander and I am 43 years young.
I have lived a full life thus far. I am divorced and have raised two children. Survived both of their teenage years. Survived brain surgury. I had a menengioma removed when I was 38. And in some ways I think my 'fresh start' really did begin after I turned 40.
I like what I see in the mirror because I choose to see what I like. I think you have to notice the world before it can notice you and by taking an interest in as much as you can, you find yourself walking a little taller.
Learning is sexy. I can feel sexy reading a book by myself in bed with my pimple cream all over my face or discussing a novel with a perfect stranger in a store.
Confidence produces that twinkle in the eyes and I do believe that this comes with experience. Knowing what turns you on. Enjoying who you have become.
I am a woman who is still a girl, only better!"
