I think that I've been in menopause for 10 years now. No kidding! My grown son even asked me not long ago, "How long does this thing last? You've been in it a long time!" Yeah, and it's really getting old (or is that me getting old??) I will admit that I've been very fortunate in that the main things I've had to contend with have been the night sweats, hot flashes and changing mid-section. However, for one who has always been in control of how her body looked, by watching my diet and exercising all of my adult life, this last point has been the most difficult to contend with. Menopause is controlling my body now, not me, and that's not cool.
Interestingly, I've been reading this wonderful book, called BEAUTY PEARLS FOR CHEMO GIRLS, by Marybeth Maida and Debbie Kiederer (to check out their website, www.beautypearlsforchemogirls.com, click here) and they write about the exact same thing happening when women have to undergo chemotherapy. They write, " Through our style in hair and clothing and makeup, we project an essential element of our personal power- the way we want to be seen. Imagine how hard it is when the cancer strikes, the treatment begins and the carefully cultivated look we've spent our lives developing, suddenly disintegrates."
Obviously, undergoing chemo is so much worse than enduring menopause, but both entail loss, because both entail change. Major changes. I was thrilled when I saw put into words, what I had just been talking about to friends at the gym the other day! What we project to the world is not vanity, but PERSONAL POWER, and when we lose some of that, it's unsettling. But as women, we love to share, laugh and cry together and together, we will get through whatever life sends our way.
You've cried at weddings, right? At the birth of a baby? And, of course, you've probably cried at funerals, but have you ever stopped to wonder why both happy and sad events, make you so emotional? Even worse, do you often feel like you're the only one? I will impart wisdom gleaned from professional conferences, seminars, books and articles and/or I will blog my personal thoughts. Either way, I hope you check in often, so you know that your tears are never shed in a vacuum!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
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About Me
- Ms. Baby Boomer-dang
- Dallas, TX, United States
- I am an educator and consultant, in the field of loss and grief. I love educating others, as well as learning from them, about life's little and big, happy and sad losses: marriage, divorce, moving away, losing one's health, aging gracefully.....or not......death of a loved one, a pet, a dream, children growing up and parents having to let go, etc. etc. Hopefully, you get the picture. Let's laugh, cry and learn together!
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