The Pause That Refreshes

Let's talk menopause for a sec shall we? If you are in your fifties you are most likely going through it. What an experience! I became aware that I might be starting the process when I asked the question: "is it hot in here?" one hot summer day when my air conditioner was set at a frosty 67 degrees. The others around me (with blue lips) assured me that it wasn't. For me, this period in my life (correction, no period) has been marked by wearing sleeveless tops year round and keeping my house at a temperature somewhere around sub arctic. I have also discovered those nice icy bandana wraps that you soak in water and wrap around your neck. Heaven!  I am lucky enough that I don't actually sweat, I just heat up inside with a lovely warm feeling. My inner furnace is raging, who are we kidding? It's bad when you wake up in the morning feeling a little chilly and upon going downstairs to check the thermostat, you find out that the house temperature is 60 degrees. I suppose the fact that all four of the cats were snuggled up next to me in bed should have been a clue to me that I had forgotten to turn the heat back on after a warmish Spring day that was certain to turn cold at night.
It's helpful to remember at this time of life that menopause is a natural process and it will take time for your body to shut down the reproductive organs. I am amazed at women who are popping pills to get rid of the hot flashes. This is disturbing the body's processing. Do I have to remind people about the pioneer women who made it through?  I feel that my earth based spiritual path helps me in accepting this process. I have never been a fan of prescription medicines. I'm sure many of my friends consider me a Christian Scientist even though I was raised in a perfectly normal Catholic household and am now on a pagan path. I do have the bottle of aspirin and Advil for those occasional annoyances that won't go away, but other than that, I let my body do the work of healing. I feel that a good sense of humor (or at least trying to maintain one) and faith that it will pass, goes a long way in getting through this time. I also find that not focusing on the symptoms helps. Your mental outlook will affect how you handle this time in your life. Staying busy with your life is important. As for those around you, do give fair warning that you will snap their head off at any moment. Mr Pirate has just given me a wide berth (he also travels for business, or so he says) by avoiding any controversial subjects by avoiding asking things such as "what's for dinner or what did you do today?"  Menopause is not a disease, it is a natural process and for me this process is most definitely winding down after three years. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, (or I could be fooling myself). I honestly feel back to being myself and better since I now find myself having an even stronger sense of self then I did going into this time in my life.
The mental aspect of menopause is actually more challenging to deal with than the physical symptoms. The inevitable forgetfulness, the mental cloud that seems to envelop you is a bit disconcerting. There is also a  feeling of lost youth when the reproductive part of your body is no longer open for business. Depression can easily sneak in if you are not vigilant in keeping yourself in a good frame of mind. If you have never tried it, keeping a journal of gratitude is one way to help you to keep yourself positive. Can't think of anything? How about "I am grateful that I don't live at the equator", "I am grateful for the sweat on my face because it gives me that youthful glow", "I am grateful for World of Warcraft because it gives me the opportunity to kill lots of things and not get arrested....

 Just for the record, alcohol will make you feel the heat more, but I have found that if you drink enough of it you won't give a damn.

Questions:
How do you feel about going through menopause? Resentful, scared?
What do you feel you can do to make this time in your life easier?

Exercise:
Start keeping a journal of gratitude. Write down at least 5 things that you are grateful for at the end of each day. I would say that you could simply go over them in your mind before drifting off to sleep but you will forget what they were and you probably aren't sleeping much these days anyway