Gen X Mom's Message for Young Women Goes Viral—'Some Things Just Take Time'

Newsweek

23-04-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Life certainly hasn't always been straightforward for Genoa Brookins, who got married in her mid-thirties and had her second child in her forties. It took a while to figure out the right path, but now she has an important message for younger generations who worry about not having their life sorted out quite yet.
When she thinks back to her twenties, Brookins, now 45, remembers the constant pressure she felt. Whether it was finding the right job, life partner, or starting a family, it felt like there was a checklist she needed to complete, but things just weren't happening for her.
By the age of 26, the Generation Xer (people born between 1965 and 1980) thought she'd be married and ready to start a family—but that wasn't her reality. She told Newsweek that she was "a late bloomer," and at the age of 29 she realized that her life would be different than she imagined.
"I realized that maybe it wasn't in the plans for me and it kind of bummed me out because I was seeing all my friends get married and having kids. Then that's when things started happening. It was just a growth process," Brookins, of Boulder, Colorado said.
Mom-of-two Chenoa Brookins, 45, styling her hair with curlers in a viral Instagram post.
Mom-of-two Chenoa Brookins, 45, styling her hair with curlers in a viral Instagram post.
@chenoa.brookins / Instagram
After leaving her twenties in the past, Brookins felt like the world finally opened up. She met her husband at the age of 31, and they were married two years later.
She'd been in relationships that didn't work out, and there was no way Brookins wanted to settle for anything less than she deserved. In her view, waiting for the right partner "made all the difference."
But that wasn't all that changed, as Brookins became a mom at 36, and had her second child aged 41. It wasn't her initial vision of starting a family by her mid-twenties, but she says that being an older mom taught her patience and wisdom.
Now, the Gen X mom-of-two has shared her experience to show that life doesn't always work out as planned, and "some things just take time."
She said: "There is no right or wrong, there is just a path, and it depends on how you perceive it. We change so much and there's so many opportunities for growth. It's OK to get married or have kids later in life, or not. Everyone's path is different.
"There's just so many challenges that you face as a young person and to come out of the other side of it is a beautiful thing," Brookins continued.
Aside from her personal life, it took Brookins years to discover what career she wanted and what she felt passionate about. She told Newsweek that she was "all over the place" throughout her twenties. She worked in a pharmacy before realizing that wasn't the right fit, then interned at a museum, went to law school and took the LSAT, before landing on being a hairstylist.
Initially, she used social media to show off the hairstyles she created and to build a portfolio for her clients. Through the 2010s, she saw content creators utilize their social platforms to share everything from fashion to beauty, and by 2018 she decided she wanted to do the same.
"I've built up an online community over time. It feels good to be vulnerable and to share that with a network of people. Other people have shared their stories with me too, and it's cool to know this isn't a rare thing and that a lot of people actually feel the same way," Brookins said.
She continued: "Life doesn't always turn out how we expect, and it's nice to see someone who is older and been through it."
Brookins regularly posts on Instagram (@chenoa.brookins) to share all things beauty, motherhood, and life in her forties. In February, she went viral after posting about how her life didn't play out how she imagined, but she couldn't be more grateful that she was patient.
The post has now amassed over 4.8 million views and 90,400 likes on Instagram at the time of writing. It's also generated over 200 comments as social media users hailed her empowering message to younger generations.
One comment on the post reads: "You inspire me in so many ways."
Another Instagram user wrote: "This is so helpful, thank you for sharing!"
Another commenter added: "Love seeing where this journey has taken you."
While one person replied: "as someone in my 20s and stressed about life, I love seeing women like you share advice."
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to [e-mail] and they could appear on our site.