Dee Nighswonger

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING YOUR AGE?
I love that I am confident enough in the woman I have become to truly believe that other’s opinions of me are none of my business!

DO YOU LIKE BEING 40+?
I am surprised to say this, but YES, I am grateful for every day I wake up and can begin again. Each new day brings new opportunities to make a difference in the lives of my family, friends, and community.

WHEN IN YOUR LIFE, SO FAR, HAVE YOU FELT MOST CONFIDENT, AND WHY?
I would say now. I have invested in my personal and spiritual growth and continue to do so. Life be life’n and I am really okay with it!

WHAT BRINGS YOU THE MOST JOY AT THIS AGE?
Playing with my bonus granddaughters (2 & 4), the fact that I can keep up with them and get up and down off the floor is joyous!

WHAT IS YOUR SUPERPOWER?
That’s a tough one. I guess I would have to say resilience, though that is being put to the test more so now than ever! IYKYK

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
I don’t think I have had it yet. There’s still LOTS of time!

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE?
I am not sure I have one. I am working on purging my closet, building a capsule wardrobe, and trying to live a more minimalist lifestyle. “Stuff” just really isn’t where it’s at for me; experiences and quality time with those I love are my biggest priority at this stage in life. Making memories is what it’s all about!

WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?
This is going to sound odd, but it is a .22 caliber bullet. My Dad gave it to me at a time in our family life that was especially challenging. We relocated to Wichita, and I applied to college later in life. I was terrified and not at all confident. He gave it to me and told me to “bite the bullet”. I carried it around with me for a while. Now, it is in my jewelry box, but every once in a while, I slip it into my pocket and know that he is with me, and my confidence gets just the boost needed.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU HAVE CHECKED OFF YOUR BUCKET LIST?
Without a doubt, skydiving! Ziplining in the Rocky Mountains and across the Royal Gorge was cool, too. I especially loved parasailing with my Mom in Maui.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?
I don’t believe in “perfect” anything. My happy place is on the lake, any lake. I can be driving the boat while my husband skis, floating and drinking with friends, watching my grandson learn to knee board, riding the tube with my grandson, or tearing it up on the jet ski.

WHAT IS A TRAIT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?
I get $h!t done😊. Being a stubborn Taurus has its advantages!

WHAT HARDSHIPS HAVE YOU ENDURED THAT YOU FEEL HAVE MADE YOU STRONGER?
The loss of my parents was tough, especially because both were very unexpected. Being the one to find my Mom, knowing she passed alone in her home is something that really rocked my world. We lost her in January 2020, and the COVID lockdown forced me to spend time in my grief, reflecting on my relationship with her and working through regrets. Honestly, I have come to embrace those times when my daughter tells me I remind her of “Grandma”. I spent so many years rebuking any comparisons, and now, I realize that the things I miss most in her are also the things I have come to love about myself.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
Don’t try to be perfect. Just try to be better than you were yesterday.

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR YOUNGER WOMEN?
I love this quote from Mel Robbins from The Let Them Theory,
“Doing what makes you happy, being brave, taking risks, and following your own path will always be more important than other people’s opinions about it. This is YOUR life. Stop allowing what other people think to keep you from living it.” I am proud that my daughter has become a wonderful example of this, and I hope I have influenced her in some small way. Oh, and practice your SUPERHERO pose; it works!

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO OR FAVORITE QUOTE?
“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” ~ John Wesley

WHAT DO YOU MOST VALUE IN YOUR FRIENDS?
My circle is small and just how I like it. I value authenticity above all. You be you, and let me be me.

HOW DID YOU CHANGE OVER THE YEARS?
How haven’t I changed is the better question, LOL! I am still stubborn, intense, and a pain in the a$$ 🙂

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I don’t find it very productive to focus on the things I cannot change, and let’s be honest, if I could change something, I would. I value the Serenity prayer: “God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference.”

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS?
My hope is for love to win over hate, for good to triumph over evil, and for future generations to make “good trouble”!