I Struggle, Yet I Emerge. Jeanene's Story.
Luctor et emergo… I struggle, yet I emerge.
What makes you a Beautiful Disaster?
I have scars, but I survived. Women are strong—we can survive anything and still come out smelling like a rose.
Why do you identify with the Beautiful Disaster brand?
Because it represents resilience. The message speaks to me—acknowledging the struggles, the battle scars, and the ability to rise above it all.
My Beautiful Disaster Story
After 40 years of marriage—pfft! Just like that, it was over.
Narcissism… I didn’t even know the word. It wasn’t in my vocabulary. But I learned.
We bought a retirement home on an island—the dream life, right? At least for everyone but me. I’m fair-skinned, prone to melanomas, yet he never listened. As usual, I just went along. Yes, I had cancer, but because I survived it, he assumed it was gone forever. Idiot. Me and him.
Then he bailed. Left me there—alone—on a rock in the ocean, remodeling and updating a house that was never my dream in the first place. He wasn’t having an affair; he just didn’t care. He simply didn’t give a shit and went back to his life in the States.
Who does that?
So I took my life back. I moved home. I divorced him—and his addictions.
I gave up security, and it took me nearly three years to come out of the fetal position. I had been with him since I was 19, but now? Now I’m discovering who I am! And you know what? I’m pretty awesome. I sure didn’t need all that baggage.
Now I’m cleaning house—inside and out. Women are so much stronger than men. Life is finally starting to feel good. I only wish I had done it 20 years ago. But age is just a number, and I still feel young inside.
Here’s my advice: Don’t live your life trying to please everyone else. It will wreck you.
What happened for you to turn it around?
I got mad!
Name 3 things you’ve done to move closer to happiness.
- I have little dreams—and I go after them.
- I bought a house and decorated it totally funky.
- I got a dog. And a Jeep. Both are so much fun!
What is your favorite Beautiful Disaster collection, past or present, and why?
I think I have one of the originals from about five years ago. It hit a nerve—“Once Lost, Now Found.”