When she turned 50 years old, Meri Brown said she was ready for the challenges ahead.
Over the next several months, it became evident that the main challenge for this Sister Wives cast member would be the continued presence of cruel husband Kody.
But she's proven herself correct over the past year or so.
On Sunday, Meri turned 51 -- and she did so with a smile on her face and without a certain terrible someone by her side.
"Meet Meri 5.1!," wrote the reality star as a caption to a slideshow of photos from her special day, adding:
"The newest version, the most up to date model, more powerful, stronger, and able to handle all that's thrown at her.
"She's been around for a while, but every version is a little better, a little more dynamic, a little more energetic, a little more influential."'
Meri penned this message amid a lot getting thrown at her, too, from sharp criticism over her role in an alleged pyramid scheme... to constant questions over the status of her marriage.
As Sister Wives Season 16 airs on TLC, viewers grow more and more curious as to why Meri remains part of Kody's life.
She recently admitted on air that Kody only sees her as a friend, despite Meri's overt desire for a lot more.
In celebration of her birthday, meanwhile, Meri wrote that she was hanging out with her "favorite people," a grouping that seemingly did NOT include her self-centered spouse.
Pretty telling, wouldn't you say?
Continued the TLC personality, referring to her 51-year oldd self:
"She has the capacity for greatness, abundance and strength.
"She's got visions, dreams, and goals, and is on a trajectory to hit them all, and then some. She feels deeply, loves completely, and gives freely.
"She's ready to conquer!"
As for the birthday itself?
"This birthday weekend has been amazing! Things turned out a bit different than originally planned, but isn't that just the way life goes sometimes?
"I got to spend a few amazing days with some of my favorite people, sorely missed those who couldn't make it, emotions were processed, plans were made, ideas were created. 51 isn't a bad thing at all.
"Watch out 2022, I'm comin' for you!!"
Meri got married to Kody Brown in 1990.
Three years after they exchanged vows, Janelle Brown entered into the pair's plural marriage ... and Christine Brown followed shortly after in 1994.
Robyn Brown joined the polyamorous dynamic in 2010, prompting Kody to divorce Meri in order to marry Robyn and legally adopt her kids from a previous relationship.
In early November, Christine announced her separation in November from Kody after 25 years together.
Meri has vowed never to do the same, however.
She has said this even after Kody admitted last year he's no longer interested in a romantic or sexual relationship Meri.
"She wants to be loved romantically — then there has to be a spark for that," he said at the time on air.
"And then she'll get from that, she will receive romance, love and a full marriage and sexual relationship."
Then, during a December episode of Sister Wives, Kody expounded as follows:
"My relationship with Meri is not the kind of relationship where I'm going to talk with her every day.
"My best guess is that her sister wives don't feel like having any interaction with her daily either."
What a sweetheart, right?
However, Meri doesn't want to leave the family, despite the frayed relationship and despite saying she feels like an outcast.
"It just kind of came down to that we're friends, which I guess is a good thing. It's a good thing," she said on Season 16.
"But I don't know, I guess I just kind of have hope for more than that."
At the same time, Meri emphasized that this is all part of God's plan and she isn't going anywhere.
"If I quit and I walk away, then it's not going to get better," she added on this same episode.
"I'm not going anywhere, y'all.
"You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."