As published on My Swiss Story on March 10, 2021.
Last week I had an unexpected visitor show up after quite a long time period of silence.
“Hello darkness my old friend,
I’ve come to talk with you again”
I hadn’t seen this “friend” since last summer (ironically we were on vacation in Zermatt), and she showed up a bit unexpectedly.
This after having been a consistent part of my life since I was a young teenager, showing up uninvited (most of the time), every single month like clockwork.
This recurring monthly event I dreaded most as a teenager (and then again ironically when I was trying to get pregnant in my late 30’s). It seems I’ve spent over half my life worrying about whether or not it was going to show up, and tired and moody for days on end when it finally did.
By now you may have guessed that this isn’t just any friend, but more that “monthly friend”, aka Aunt Flo, Shark Week, Chum, That Time of the Month, Your Period.
After getting married in my late 30’s, it was emotionally exhausting when she continued showing up month after month. A heartbreaking reminder of my inability to get pregnant or hold a pregnancy.
But then in my late 40’s, she started showing up a bit less frequently. She would stay away for months at a time, then show up a bit unexpectedly. Sometimes she would stay for a few days, other times a few weeks and sometimes she would show up twice a month and I would think “You again?”
As the visits became less frequent, a strange feeling crept over me, and I started having some nagging questions.
Who am I without this “friend” in my life?
Who am I if I am not fertile anymore?
What purpose do I serve?
Am I still desirable?
As women we spend so much of our life worried about our bodies, and dealing with our periods EVERY SINGLE MONTH. It’s no wonder we are so exhausted by the time we reach our 40’s. It is almost like a mini grieving process when everything starts to change.
While there is some information out there about navigating this transition physically, there isn’t a whole lot about navigating the emotional side that comes with this change. When I turned 50 last year, I found myself a bit more anxious, a mix of sadness and confusion.
So when my old friend showed up quite unexpectedly last week, I made myself a cup of tea and invited her in. We reminisced about the old times, the good, the bad. Knowing that this could be the last time she stops by, I thanked her for all she has given me (2 healthy children, a body that loves the outdoors and enjoys life to the fullest and more, so much more).
I know I have been blessed with a very mild transition into my so called “Second Spring”. I chalk a large part of it up to having made my health a priority this past decade, and knowing good health is more than what I eat, but my relationships, my connections and my adherence to sleep and stress management.
“Hear my words that I might teach you”
Peri-menopause and menopause is something that almost every woman will go through in their lives, to varying degrees. But unfortunately it is often referred to more in dire medical terms and symptoms.
My goal as a Health Coach is to dispel the myths around getting older and share the tools you need to navigate this season with ease and grace. Knowing how to manage the symptoms naturally through nutrition and lifestyle adjustments can unlock a path through peri-menopause that can turn this often challenging time into one of great awakening.
So shed that night soaked t-shirt and tame the mid-life hormone monster once and for all. I am talking all things hormone related inside my Healthy Hormone Challenge.
It is time to start talking about menopause and peri-menopause. You no longer need to suffer …in the sounds of silence
Beauty lies everywhere, from the wise old crone to the newborn baby.