Lenny
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
This is beautiful Lenny (70). I photographed her right before I left for my 8-week travel to Italy. By coincidence, Lenny was on holiday in Forte dei Marmi while I was staying there, and we met twice for a drink.
Back in the Netherlands, I realized that I didn’t publish the interview I had with this here on my website yet. Translating it from Dutch to English this evening makes me realize what an incredibly strong and inspiring woman Lenny is, I am sure you will agree with me…
Tell us about yourself.
In 1970 I got married at the age of 20, and I had 2 sons. I wanted to be there for the boys when they were little; during that time, I often worked in the evening in a well-known nightclub in Rotterdam, stood at trade fairs as a hostess, and opened my own café business. After having been married for almost 18 years, my marriage broke down, and I worked for 20 years at the ABN AMRO bank as an executive secretary / Management Assistant. In 1990 I married for the second time to Rob. In 1997 it turned out that I am genetically responsible for the BRCA-1 breast cancer gene. After a lot of research about this hereditary breast cancer gene, I have written a book about it called “The Right Choice,” which came out in 2006. My sister unfortunately also carried this bad breast cancer gene and died in 2001 of the effects of breast cancer.
In 2007 my husband got two cerebral infarctions which greatly impacted my life. At that time, I noticed that all the attention went to those affected, and the partners who were also suffering immensely and who were hardly able to cope with the care were not actually looked after. I wrote a book, especially for the partners of … This book was published in 2010 and is called “It Shouldn’t get any crazier” (both books are in Dutch). The reaction on my website shows that this book is great support for all caregivers who have a partner with NAH (Non-Congenital Brain Injury). Due to the many much-needed vacations we undertook, I could sustain this life. Unfortunately, my dear husband passed away in December 2018.
What’s the Biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
To get divorced from my first husband after 18 years of marriage. At that time, I had no fixed income and had two little boys to look after. Yet, I wanted to leave because this marriage caused me a lot of sorrow, and I didn’t want to lose my self-worth. Then I started following a computer course and registered with an employment agency. Soon after, I was offered a part-time job at a large bank in Rotterdam, which resulted in a permanent contract. Within two years, I had worked my way up to become a management secretary.
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“The quality of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”
This is beautiful Lenny (70). I photographed her right before I left for my 8-week travel to Italy. By coincidence, Lenny was on holiday in Forte dei Marmi while I was staying there, and we met twice for a drink.
What do you do for work?
Not much at the moment because I have been a widow since December 2018 after the death of my husband, Rob and also lost my mother in September 2018. I first have to deal with this very great sadness, but I know, knowing myself, that I will eventually come out of this and then I really want to focus again on modeling and traveling a lot.
What would you say is the strangest thing about becoming an older woman?
What I find the strangest is that from around the age of 14, I have always received compliments about my appearance and this has not stopped since I am 70 years old. I find this incredible. I once asked my husband when he thought it would stop. His sweetheart answered: never!!
If you could tweet something to your younger self what would you say?
Continue on the same road. Hold on to your own norms and values, even if that is sometimes difficult to achieve. Always make sure that you can look at yourself in the mirror. Stay honest and follow your intuition that has always been the best.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Because of all the setbacks in life (and there were many of them), I can still feel happy, strong, and full of life with an optimistic curiosity about what life still has in store for me.
What’s the one thing you most hope for personally in the coming year?
That the terrible sadness for the loss of my husband and mother (who died almost simultaneously) will become less severe in the coming year.
What scares you?
Nothing really scares me, because the things that are really dangerous in the world are not in your own hands. I used to worry about everything and that greatly influenced my life. I have now put up a beautiful spell that really helps: “The quality of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”
What are you most excited about this fall?
In September, I booked a trip to the Caribbean, and after that, all options are still open.
How old are you?
70 years old.
Photography by Denise Boomkens
Make-up & hair by Esther van Maanen
Shirt by Essentiel Antwerp
Jewelry by Stellar Paris
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