Patrice Lee Cover Model Contest Finalist

My name is Patrice Lee and I am a 57 year old wife, mother of five and grandmother of seven beautiful babies. As a woman who married very young at the age of 18 and started having my babies right away, I had no idea who I was as a young woman apart from being someone's wife and my children's mother. Having two sets of twins plus my oldest daughter by the age of 23, I lost myself in trying to be everything to them. With my second set of twins, my son was born with Down Syndrome and a whole host of medical issues so I put myself second to be the best mom I could for my children. In my early 40's, I was surgically thrown into menopause; having five babies in three years did a job on my uterus. Having to go through menopause that young was devastating. Menopause took so much from me as a woman; emotionally, physically and mentally.

It wasn't until in my 50's that I actually started to feel like the beautiful butterfly who has emerged from the cocoon and has fully learned to embrace me. At this stage in life, I am living in the highest form of self love. I am thriving in the vitality of this season in my 50's. I have raised my children, and I love my grandchildren to death, but I've decided to take this chapter in life for me. I love the woman I am becoming in my 50's. Now that I am on the other side of menopause, I find so much joy in showing other women what it feels like to come into our own even at this stage in life. Life is constantly evolving and as women, we must continue to evolve into the best version of ourselves.