Maria Bello Talks About Embracing Midlife With Grace and Wisdom
Maria Bello is set to make 2024 a year to remember. Her journey begins with the upcoming Emmy Awards on January 15, which recognized her outstanding performance in the Netflix series Beef with a nomination. But that’s not all; she’s also planning her spring wedding to her longtime partner, Dominique Crenn.
At 56 years old, Maria has hit a remarkable stride in her life, although she acknowledges that it took some introspection to reach this point. Reflecting on the past few years, she shares, “I never meant to take a pause, but the pause took me first.”
According to the actress, producer, and writer, her menopause journey coincided with the onset of COVID, leading to a challenging two-year period where she felt overwhelmed.
However, Maria saw this as an opportunity for self-discovery. She made the decision to pause her social media presence, cut back on travel, and scale down her work commitments. She realized that a midlife crisis could be a gift, a chance to step back and reassess.
“So I went back on social media to talk about my findings. I feel more peace than I’ve ever had,” she recounted.
In December, Maria made a powerful return to Instagram after a two-year hiatus. She candidly discussed her experiences with menopause, from exploring “bioidentical hormones” to trying “Ozempic for a week” to combat the physical and emotional changes.
She also delved into Carl Jung’s teachings about the seven tasks of midlife, seeking to transform the negative connotations of midlife into a period of growth and fulfillment.
To aid in her personal evolution, Maria leaned on her “midlife midwives.” Surprisingly, some of her most significant supporters were not women but “three old men friends that are over 80.” Their wisdom and humor provided valuable guidance, sharing their own experiences with aging.
Aging, Maria came to realize, is a gift. She no longer sought to halt the aging process through various treatments and products. She recognized that true change starts from within.
“Just because my skin looks a little tighter at that midlife point — when I was really down, disillusioned and depressed inside — it didn’t help a thing,” she emphasized.
Having successfully embraced the second half of her life, Maria now celebrates whatever makes her feel better about herself. She maintains a profound sense of humor and surrounds herself with images of strong and confident women in her bathroom, all over 60, who embrace their wrinkles and waddles.
With her newfound mindset, Maria feels a deeper sense of peace, confidence, humility, and gratitude. She is eager to share her wisdom and considers herself a “midlife midwife,” challenging conventional notions about aging.
To young women with a long road ahead, Maria offers a message of hope: “It gets infinitely better.” She believes that growing older can be an extraordinary journey filled with confidence and power, shattering the stereotype that aging is something to fear.
