After a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the loss of two husbands, Cosette Bonjour, 61, of Kapoho, Hawaii, had to find a way to get through the pain.
She found it by adopting an attitude of gratitude.
"I started writing in a journal after my first husband passed away," Bonjour said. "I could see the cyclical ups and downs, and it took me a long time to see the joy and good in things. … Then I realized waking up and being grateful for anything, whether the sun’s up, or you’ve got family or friends to talk to … just finding the things that make you happy — the more you find those things, the happier you are."
Bonjour is one of seven people nationwide selected by AARP The Magazine for its Faces of 50+ Real People Model Search. The seven, who range in age from 51 to 91, were chosen from more than 6,000 people who responded to the question, "What does it mean to live your best life after 50?"
The winners were flown to New York for a two-day photo shoot and video interview to be featured in the December/January issue.
"These people are on the edge of what you call realizing their lives as seniors," said Bruce Bottorff, spokesman for AARP Hawaii. "They show that getting older is something to be valued and about looking forward as opposed to slowing down and not doing anything."
Life does not end after 50, according to Bonjour, who entered the contest on a whim. She had a successful career in the magazine publishing industry in New York City before hitting that age benchmark.
"In a way it is just the beginning," she said.
Bonjour was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, in her late 20s. (She is now free of the disease.) Following the death of her first husband in 1990, who died in his sleep at age 38, she sought the help of a life coach and started envisioning what she wanted to do in the next chapter of her life.
She dreamed of leisurely mornings doing yoga and painting. That vision came true, as Bonjour followed her second husband to Hawaii island in 2001, where they would eventually build their dream home on the ocean. (He died in 2007 at age 54.)
Bonjour began to get serious about oil painting, which she had dabbled in during trips to Tuscany in Italy. Her hobby really took shape in Hawaii as she experimented with new media and used the isles’ lush landscapes as a frequent subject. Her work is found at a Hilo gallery.
"I think 50 is a good age," she said. "Around 50 I just felt totally comfortable with who I was, what I’ve done and where I am, and there’s a confidence that comes with that."
Because of her prior health issues, Bonjour pays close attention to diet and nutrition, eating mostly vegetables and organic food. She also practices yoga on a regular basis, not just for physical exercise, but because it involves meditation and a lifestyle that "nurtures the soul."
In the morning, six days a week, she gets together with friends to exercise. Sometimes it’s doing yoga, going for a walk or swimming in the ocean.
Travel, she says, is also key to continued personal growth.
"I just think you always have to keep on learning," she said. "One of the best educations you can give yourself is to travel to other countries to experience other cultures and see how different people live. I think that’s so exciting."
Now Bonjour is training to be a life coach, and hopes to specialize in helping others deal with grief and coping with cancer.
"I’ve been through it," she said. "I love to help others that way."
She’s also planning a trip to Tahiti and the South Pacific early next year.
Bonjour said she is also open to finding love again — someone who is warm, kind, intellectually interesting and loves to travel.
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Read more about AARP The Magazine’s Faces of 50+ Real People Model Search at www.aarp.org.
