October 18, 2024
Today is World Menopause Day, a day to bring awareness through healthy conversations and to share the support available to promote a positive transition. This day is to try and take the stigma off a very natural, and inevitable, change of life, and make it easier to openly discuss these changes. We women should not have to feel like we should be hiding these symptoms. We all will, at some point, have to deal with our own version of Menopause, and to be able to talk about it, and get the proper care we need and deserve, will make this transition a whole lot easier...for everyone involved. We need to discuss the symptoms so that those around us are aware of what is going on so they can be more empathetic to what we are dealing with.
The changes are sneaky, and come on, for me anyway, quite slowly. I am still in Perimenopause stage, and it started I'd say around 2018, but I don't know for sure as I had no one to talk to about it. I had mentioned it to my family Dr, and he told me I was too young, but I knew things were changing. I think that in itself was the hardest part, not having anyone to talk to about it. And why was that? 'Because it's a faux pas to talk about our changing bodies?!' That to me seems insane. What's the big deal?! Our bodies change, that's just what happens with time. Everything changes, we should be allowed to discuss this, just as much as anything else. This should be an open discussion, not something we have to hide from others in fear of what, shame... shame that our bodies are transitioning into their next stage of life ...we can only be so lucky to have made it to this age to be able to see the new versions of ourselves ... we shouldn't have to be ashamed and made to hide our changes. Yes, we are older; grey hair, wrinkles, weight gain, some days super moody, other days melting under our skin. Our bodies have lost that youthful glow, elasticity, soft silky hair, plus a plethora of other crazy changes. But, we've gained clarity in our lives, we have learned so much, for the most part we know what we want and need...and I know for me...what I want and need...is to discuss the changes I am going through. To find more clarity in this transition, so that I can make better choices for my health and wellbeing. That maybe I can help other women going through this transition as well so they too can feel heard and empowered to make the right choices for their journey also.
It's difficult to do this alone. None of us will have the same outcome, as we really are all so different, but we can at least be there for one another, to help us all along this journey to find the right path for us individually, together. We need to be more open, and free to discuss this natural change, that really has no way of stopping, it's going to happen whether we want it to or not. No, who really wants to get old...but it's inevitable ...again, if we are lucky enough to still be on this planet... so we might as well try to make it as easy on ourselves as we can. The best way to do that is to be open, discuss the changes and normalize Menopause, as it truly is a very normal, and inevitable, change in a woman's life.
I like how they chose October to be World Menopause Day as it really does fit nicely with our own transition. At least in Canada anyway, where the growing season has come to an end, it's very fitting for what our reproductive organs are going through as well.
This is pretty much the 'Fall' of our life's journey...and that's ok...
...Fall is the best time of year...
so, here's hoping this will be the best time of our lives.