Mid-Life

A friend of mine writes about hilarious moments as a mother of a toddler and a six month old baby. And I've been thinking lately of the fact that I'm on the other end of the life-span spectrum. We all age eventually, but women go through a more dramatic change at mid-life than men do. Menopause.

If my twenty-something friend can write with brutal honesty about pelvic exams and childbirth, why can't I write just as honestly about the changes accompanying menopause?

First of all, I am not sure that I want to admit that, at 57, I am actually "menopausal". Menopause is seen as a loss of sexuality, a loss of fertility, a loss of "womanhood". Its a time of life when older women should be content with the role of grandmother, not sex siren. It can be a time of loss of sexual desire, and is often a time when men of the same age reach for younger lovers, often much younger lovers. Its a time of weight gain that turns your hour glass figure into the Pillsbury Dough boy and hot flashes that disrupt your sleep and social activities.

There are many serious "articles" on the internet regarding the physiology of Menopause. I am not sure there are very many humorous blog sites on the same subject. But then again, perhaps this "old lady" just does not know how to find them.