Carenda Dedonne

She sat alone in the quiet aftermath of everything falling apart. The house still smelled like him, but he was gone. The ring still rested on the nightstand, but the covenant was broken. Just hours earlier, a doctor’s voice had spoken words that shattered whatever strength she thought she had left…breast cancer. In one season, she lost her marriage, her sense of safety, and the illusion that life was predictable. The future she had planned no longer existed.

As the calendar turns and conversations fill with resolutions, goals, and fresh starts, there is often an unspoken pressure to arrive in the new year energized, motivated, and ready to conquer. Hustle culture tells us that January should begin with intensity — early mornings, packed schedules, and ambitious plans. But what if the most powerful way to enter the new year is not by pushing harder, but by slowing down?

When Melani Sanders hit her late 40s, the subtle hum of change became a blaring alarm bell. Brain fog, mood swings, inexplicable sweats—her body was sending her cryptic messages, and mainstream health conversations were curiously silent. That silence? Melani decided to shatter it. A former corporate consultant turned wellness advocate, Melani now dedicates her life to educating and empowering women about the realities of perimenopause and menopause.