Melody Gary is a bright, shining light in the life of others. I say this from firsthand knowledge. Melody and I have been close, loving friends for over 45 years. From the unabashed goofiness of kindergarten to the “I’m pretty sure I know all that there is to know about everything and no one can tell  me any different” years as teenagers in high school and well beyond that, we have stayed true through the ups and downs that life flung our way.

And still we rise . . . and there’s no one better with whom I would want to stand.

You wanna know what midlife looks like?

Melody Gary

When you’re looking for positivity, you’ll usually find it in Melody Gary. She’s generous with her time and her heart. She’s a woman who dispenses sage words of advice and encouragement to ease the burden of others. And a quick, easy smile that’s filled with warmth? Yeah, that’s Melody, too. She’s a lot of things to many people: a wife, mother, daughter, sister, daughter-in-law, friend and a bit of a dynamo – all rolled up into one petite package who wears 51 years well.

An Administrative Coordinator for a local County Hospital by day, Melody, like most of us, looks forward to her time away from the daily grind. As much as she likes her job, she cherishes when the time comes to disconnect from it even more. Live to work? Pffth…not Melody.

I work to live! I enjoy my job but I would not be doing it for free.

Melody’s coveted free time is occupied by her hobbies: her family and her business. You wouldn’t know it to look at her, but Melody is the mother of three grown children: Tiara, Anthony Jr. and Darion.But wait . . . there’s more.

I have two adorable granddaughters who are the apple of my eye.

Grandbabies for Melody don’t stop at Aniyah, 3, and Averie, eleven months. The latest to join the family lineage is her grandson, Aaron Jr., born on June 25, 2015. Baby Aaron is a hefty bundle of joy who tipped the scales at 8 pounds 2 ounces and 20.5 inches long. Although a week late in arrival, he was well worth the wait.

On the business end of the spectrum, Melody has never been one to rest on her laurels. With an entrepreneurial spirit borne of determination, she will soon be taking the big leap of going into business for herself.

For the last two to three months, I have been preparing my plan for the big day.

And what might that big day be? It all has to do with Melody’s reinvention of herself in midlife. She decided to move beyond the plateau of mother and wife to become a business owner with the creation of Distinctively You Cosmetics, Inc., a line of cosmetics that she is currently developing.

Melody is propelled in life through her stalwart faith in God. This, however, doesn’t mean that her time on earth hasn’t been without its challenges. Sometimes midlifers can feel besieged with life choices and, with that, we may call into question the way in which we want our lives to progress. That lack of clarity can cause us to become confused and unsure, especially in terms of who we want to be when we ‘grow up.’

Melody was no stranger to life’s ambiguity. Her biggest challenge in midlife was a lack of direction. Although she had several avenues from which to choose, her path was filled with uncertainty. As a result, she was unsure of what she should be doing with her life.

The cloud finally lifted when she let go and let God.

I had to be still. I prayed and waited for an answer from God. You see, nothing happens in my life without prayer.

It’s obvious where Melody gets her strength. I’m sure she harvested that strength, too, when bringing up her three children. The nest is quite busy in the Gary household.

I live in a multi-generation home. All of my children are grown and self-sufficient. Only one is at home.  With helping to take care of parents and grandkids, I never see the nest being empty. The best thing is that I still enjoy time for myself and my wonderful husband of thirty one years, Anthony.

Family—and all of the joys, sorrows, ups and down that come with it—is a large and important part of Melody’s life. Fortunately, she knows to take time out and appreciate the woman that she is.

I’m very happy with the woman that I have become in midlife because she allows me endless opportunities in life. I’ve found that being 50 has been more exciting than I have ever imagined. I’m enjoying the ride.

And oh what a ride it is.

With a longstanding marriage (31 years) under her belt, a house that’s practically buzzing with the kinetic energy of family and a new cosmetics line launching soon, Melody is anything but sedentary.

As she continues to rock midlife, Melody has these few words of advice to other women who may be struggling with the transition:

Put your best face forward always!

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Budding entrepreneur. Proud midlifer. Positive thinker. Selfless. Wife. Mother. Daughter. Sister. Friend. 

This is Melody. She’s just scratching life’s surface and I have a feeling she won’t stop until she reaches the core!

When it comes to Melody Gary, this is what midlife looks like.

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If you believe you or someone you know should be featured in “This is What Midlife Looks Like,” please don’t hesitate to contact me and let me know.