"I wanted to participate... and then I didn’t," Whitney admits with a shy smile. It’s a feeling many women over 50 know well—the pull between wanting to be seen and the instinct to stay hidden. As the date of her photoshoot approached, Whitney found herself in "full-on fear mode."

For a woman who has spent her life focusing on and celebrating others, the idea of the camera being turned on her felt dangerously uncomfortable. It felt like a loss of control or being far too vulnerable.

But Whitney is a woman built on faith. "I usually don’t do anything that gets me out of my comfort zone until I’m forced to," she says. "But this time, I chose to step out on blind faith. I showed up, and I surrendered to the process."

In the studio, the transformation wasn't about the hair or the makeup—it was about the internal shift from being anxious to being relaxed, and finally, to being fearless.

It’s a specific kind of fear that many women who serve others feel: the fear of the spotlight. Whitney is a woman who finds her safety in the wings, cheering others on, celebrating their victories, and being the anchor. Focusing on herself felt unnatural, even "uncomfortable." To be the subject of a camera is to lose control, to be seen without filters or armor.

Whitney belongs to a "seasoned" generation that is often told they are no longer needed. But Whitney knows better. She isn't retiring; she is evolving. She sees her life as a series of battles that have made her resilient, and she views herself as a "bridge" for the women coming up behind her.

“They say at this age you’re no longer needed. That’s not true. We don’t retire; we evolve. My last days will be my best days because I finally know my own strength.”

— Whitney Mays

“I realized life doesn’t wait for anyone. No one is going to save you. So what now??!! Battle after battle— you get tired of fighting so you surrender in order to win. I finally took control of my life and quit waiting for it to get better. I made my life better thru hope and my faith—and then things started to change. I woke up telling my day what it was gonna be rather than the other way around. I started declaring things over my life. No one else was involved in that conversation but me. There is a saying, ‘If I am not the problem then there is no solution’. I can’t control life circumstances. I realized pain is inevitable but suffering isn’t. I kept showing up until I found myself holding up bridges for others.

I am wiser now, and I learned my search in life was always trying to undo something from my childhood. I now want to be to others what I always needed. Planting trees that I will probably never sit under is what life means to me today. I’m now showing others it all comes back to you to make the best of it, and you’re stronger than you think. I now value my age, I value valleys just s much as mountains. Both are necessary. The God on the mountain is also the God in the valley. We just have to change perspective all through our lives.,” declared Whitney.

When it came time for the Reveal Session, Whitney had to confront the woman in the portraits. At first, she saw the years—the wrinkles and the frown lines that had "snuck up" on her. But then, the narrative shifted.

"I didn't look how I felt on the inside... and then I realized I was looking at an overcomer. A survivor. I saw a woman who was better, not bitter. I chose to see a Superwoman whose photos told a story of power and love. I looked at her... and I loved her."

Whitney left the 50 over 50 experience with more than just portraits. She left with a new definition of herself.

"I don’t need to see the whole staircase," she says. "I just need enough light for the step I’m on right now." For Whitney, this photoshoot was that light—a celebration of a woman who is wiser, stronger, and more sure of herself than ever before.

What would you tell your 20-year old self: “I wouldn’t offer platitudes about happiness. I would tell her that loss and death are just as important as success, because they breed a strength you didn't know you possessed. God has already placed something in you to survive it. You just have to keep breathing, get dressed, and show up."