Winner Week 2: Maggie LaVay
[ READ MAGGIE'S WINNING ESSAY ]Maggie LaVay, 44, can honestly say she's the embodiment of the "American Dream." Having immigrated to the United States in order to escape oppression in her native Iran, Maggie looks at her life—who she is now and what she has accomplished—with pride. She is married to the man of her dreams, witnessed her two wonderful children maturing in a safe country, and even secured her first Tae Kwon Do black belt degree at age 40. Now Maggie feels that she is capable of doing anything she wants to do. She radiates confidence, claiming she feels more in control and looks the best she's ever looked in her life. Having just returned from a second honeymoon with her husband, Maggie is living proof that you can find love again in your 40's.
According to Maggie, what makes a woman beautiful is having self-confidence and happiness.
Q&A WITH MAGGIE
What's your favorite pump-yourself-up song?
"Eye in the Sky" by The Alan Parsons Project
Which well-known person, alive or not, do you most admire? Why?
Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. She was originally from Russia like my grandfather. Meir pursued her beliefs in perilous times without regard to personal risks and consequences.
What is your personal mantra?
"Grin: but don't bear it."
What is your most meaningful physical possession and why?
My photo albums. They represent a part of my past capturing irreplaceable moments with friends and family.
What do you cherish most?
1. Quiet time with friends and family. 2. Raucous times with friends and family.
What are you most proud of?
Despite the horrors I witnessed as a girl in Iran and challenges in finding normalcy, I'm still able to view the world positively.
Complete this sentence: Beauty is: fleeting; you better have something else to hang your hat on.
What is your favorite:
Book/Author: The tenure of my marriage is too short to say anything else but Forgotten; my husband's novel about the third incarnation of the ancient and evil Judean King Manasseh. But for the record my second favorite is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.
Movie: Forrest Gump. (My box of chocolate has been especially interesting.)
Activity: Martial Arts (kicking and punching friends:))
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
A juicy burger with melted blue cheese and lots of curly fries with salt and vinegar.
What's the best mistake you ever made?
Saying "yes" on our second date to my husband's marriage proposal.
What's the smartest thing you've ever done?
Not being afraid to make the best mistake ever.
What is the best thing about being in your 40s?
Other than being sexier, sassier and more confident, I am in a better shape, I'm sure of what makes me tick and what makes me happy. Keeping up with 20-year-olds in karate class is right up there, too.
What have you discovered about yourself now that you are in your 40s that you didn't know about yourself when you were younger?
The ability to say "NO" and enjoy it.
What advice would you give to women who are about to turn 40?
Enjoy yourself everyday, keep your head high, have confidence in yourself, believe in who you are and follow your heart.
Fill in the blank: I think everyone should passionately and relentlessly pursue a dream that they believe is unattainable at least once in their lives.
Do you have a mentor? If so, tell us how you met him/her, what they've taught you, etc.
My grandfather, who died two years ago. He taught me to be grounded, and strive to be kind and thoughtful regardless of circumstance.
What won't you do now that you would have done in your 20s?
I'll never completely retire from dancing on tables and hanging from chandeliers, however, I will no longer consider good times and good health givens the way I did in my 20s.
MAGGIE'S WINNING ESSAY
[ BACK TO TOP ]"The bounce in my step, fire in my eyes, and scent of irreverent air, is
a more a product of who I have been rather than who I hope to be.
Realigning your life at 40 must mean more than the latest eye shadow or
gym membership, lest we become little more than fresh paint. The
challenge of turning 40 is transforming residual pain and disappointment
of our 20's and 30's into the motivation of new life.
For me, escaping with my life from Iranian Islamic tyrants in the early
1980's and memories of murder and genocide, the harrowing three-year
odyssey from Tehran through Turkey, Great Britain and Canada to find
home and freedom in American was my first fresh start.
Whether by luck or fate or grace of divine intervention, the arrival of
40 has brought endless joy. I discovered the love of my life and
remarried, and witnessed my two wonderful children maturing and
flourishing unimpeded. At 40, I secured the first of my Tae Kwon Do
black belt degrees and resolved anyone's lingering doubts whether I'm
sexier and more savvy today than a decade ago.
Turning 40 has meant striving to be more than facade. Each warm
acknowledging nod and comforting smile I extend to others adds to
internal confidence and contentment. The ephemeral blessings of my born
beauty is for others to judge. But if beauty includes love for life,
family, friends and neighbors, then the smile on my face will suffice."
