Crying?

Check.

Anger?

Check.

Frustration?

Check.

Daily daydreams of blowing up idiot drivers?

Check.

When I was a teenager, I did not have really bad PMS.

Not mood wise.

I mean I was a little more touchy.

But none of the raging that other friends went through.

Even cramping was minimal.

I was lucky.

Depending on how you looked at it.

I had other issues, so maybe the scales balanced out.

Now let’s fast forward thirty years or so, and I’m now in menopause.

I will preface this with the following: I’m not sure if I have heard this elsewhere, or if I created it, but either way here it goes … my little comedy schtick.

Who on earth named it menopause? I, for one, am not about to decide in ten years or so that I miss the bloating and the irritability, never mind the incessant fear that sex might lead to another child, and say let’s return to that nightmare, please. Can I see a show of hands? Are there any women out there … wait, yes I know there are women out there who believe that giving birth to a wild gaggle of children is yada yada yada … but for a vast majority, I don’t think that restarting puberty is a wish. But hey, that is just me.

Having said that, this week I have cried over every little thing.

I cried apologizing to someone.

Writing an email earlier about my son … cried.

Asking a friend if I had done anything wrong (knowing she is struggling with an issue re: school/her daughter/bullies) and tearing up as I exclaim how egotistical I am to even think it was because of me.

I cried realizing I am a little egotistical.

I cried because a little girl told me I was beautiful.

I cried because a co-worker is hurting.

I cry a lot.

Flipside is the rage that comes out.

Most of it has been at other drivers, but there have been a few times at work …

I work hard not to let that aspect out, but there are times the wolf howls to be let loose.

I am told that it will get better.

I am sure that it will mean puberty eventually settled down.

Right?

Jay-lyn Doerksen

Jay-lyn is a woman who is in her late forties, who was thrilled to discover that she’s in menopause.

Tired of the bloating and emotional turmoil, the thought that it would be gone was most welcome…until she discovered that neither one goes away. They just get worse.

Jay-lyn is also the mother to a wonderful young man who is twelve going on twenty (but really only thirteen). Her son’s impending teenage years, mixed with her midlife change has her thinking she’d better prepare the fallout shelters now.

She’s also the mom to three fur babies.

Here’s to normalizing menopause as another cycle in life 🙂

Follow her blog, The Wonderful and Wacky World of One Single Mom.

Write for Navigating the Change.