Rose Reyes

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING YOUR AGE?
The experience I acquired over the years, everything I’ve learned in life.

WHAT HARDSHIPS HAVE YOU ENDURED THAT YOU FEEL HAVE MADE YOU STRONGER?
The separation of my parents was very difficult. It made me strong and mature and helped me through life. It helped me not to make the same mistakes in my marriage. I try to take as much positive off that bad experience to live a happier life.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
My children.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE?
Traveling and clothes for me and my children

WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?
My children, my family.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU HAVE CHECKED OFF YOUR BUCKET LIST?
Going on a cruise to the Bahamas, I love going to the beach.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?
Having a good relationship with God. That’s the base of all happiness, if you know who God is, if you follow his guidance and do what he says, everything else falls into place.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
I wish I had seen other marriages a little more closely so that I would have learned the good things from them. To hang out with other people who have been married and have been happy for a long time and learn from them.
I’ve met couples where the husband has always cooked as well, my husband never cooks. Maybe we would have shared more household chores from the beginning of our marriage had I seen that with other couples. I did the opposite and would give everything because I wanted to make him happy.

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR YOUNGER WOMEN?
We are all warriors in life, never give up. Whatever situation you encounter, especially young moms, remember we all juggle things at the same time. Sometimes you might feel like giving up because you don’t see any results from your efforts yet. But in the long run, I think we will all see them if we don’t give up. Have endurance, patience, and resilience, those are the qualities to achieve. Keep trying and pursuing what you want in life.

WHAT IS A TRAIT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?
Being a hairdresser, stylist, and body sculpting technician. I recently started offering body sculpting. I love seeing the immediate results that people get after one session. When people buy the treatments and they achieve their goals, it’s very rewarding for me. It changes their life and it makes me realize that what I do has value.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO OR FAVORITE QUOTE?
Work to live don’t live to work.

WHAT DO YOU MOST VALUE IN YOUR FRIENDS?
Loyalty. I have a lot of acquaintances, but I know who I can count on and who are my real friends

HOW DID YOU CHANGE OVER THE YEARS?
When I moved from living in the city, in Chicago and Mexico, to Salina Kansas it was an adjustment. I started working at a District Court in Salina and I would hear other ladies talk about living in the country, having a dream house with animals. I couldn’t imagine living in the country, and here, 25 years later, I moved to the country. After buying a house in a rural area I now dream of having chickens.

You change throughout your life, what you like when you’re young is not the same as when you’re older. Your goals in life change, having children changed my goals in life. My children can now go out, run around, explore the area, have little animals, and grow up in a different way than I did. I had to go to the zoo to see the animals. I had a dog and a cat, but that was it. As a child, I had never seen cows, sheep, a rooster, or chickens. Living in the country is something I pursued, and I got it thanks to the effort of both my husband and myself.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I like myself. There were sad stages in my life but if I hadn’t gone through those stages I wouldn’t be who I am today. I’m happy the way I am.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS?
I hope for the best for our future generations. As days go by you see things getting from bad to worse, there’s only so much we can do, we can’t change the world, only God can. We all want to be happy, my children are among the future generations, and I sure hope they can live good lives.

WHAT BRINGS YOU THE MOST JOY AT THIS AGE?
There are a lot of things that bring me joy, my children, and my husband, and having peace and living a peaceful life. Knowing I have a relationship with God brings me happiness.

WHAT IS YOUR SUPERPOWER?
Multitasking is my superpower. I don’t have the strength I did when I was in my twenties or thirties, but I must be stronger now because I still have little ones. Being organized helps me when it sometimes gets hard.

DO YOU LIKE BEING 40+?
Yes, I like it, I’m happy. I know some women don’t want to get old but it’s something that eventually will happen. And thank goodness because it means we’re alive. Who cares if we get older, out skin gets saggier, or when we get more wrinkles? I’m so grateful to be here.

WHEN IN YOUR LIFE, SO FAR, HAVE YOU FELT MOST CONFIDENT, AND WHY?
Now, having the knowledge and the experience that comes with being my age, that gives me confidence.