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| Very accurate picture of me from Bitstrips |
As Jeff desperately reaches over in the car to blast air conditioning to the extreme in my direction, I have to ask, “How did you know?” It was my breathing that gave it away. He knows it is for his own good to be aware of the signs and respond as quickly as possible!
It always seems to follow the same pattern: My face gets hot and red; torrents of sweat streak my face and soak my hair; and my breathing begins to mimic the sound of my three pooches panting after a rigorous run in the hot sun. Sometimes, clothes begin flying off of me in every direction too! It feels like a steam radiator gets turned on inside of me and begins to roast me from the inside out, and I begin grasping for anything that can possibly be used for a fan – a church bulletin, a CD case, an old McDonald’s napkin, or even the bag of doggie treats we just bought to take home to the girls. In the house, I have to keep the remote control for the ceiling fan within reach at all times!
As I inspect my makeup in the mirror before getting out of the car, I see the white streaks etched into my blush from the sweat, and my slick, straight hair has begun to frizz and kink from the heat and moisture. I perpetually look like I have been dowsed with a water hose everywhere I go!
I am sure I have been such a blast to be around lately too! If for nothing else, at least I provide plenty of ammunition for some clever menopausal jokes. You know the one that Anita Renfroe does with the Shamwow in her bra? Yep! That one is for real! I’m not kidding either. One of my daily routines is to wring out the washcloths from my bra and replace them with dry ones. That’s what you get when you combine the Georgia heat with menopause and anything larger than a B cup! (I know – TMI!)
Now that you have a mental picture of my life with hot flashes, let us add some mood swings, wrinkles, saggy everything, food cravings, fatigue, and brain fog. Now I can see why Archie Bunker went nuts and yelled to Edith, “Edith if you’re gonna have a change of life, you gotta do it right now! I’m gonna give you just 30 seconds. Now, come on – change!”
While it can be uncomfortable, and even miserable at times, we have a choice how we will cope with the changes of life, even menopause. We can take our misery out on everyone around us and become “meno-monsters,” or we can choose to pull the reins on our attitudes and mouths and try to have a sense of humor about it. While supplements or hormone replacement may relieve some symptoms, the process of change is inevitable. There is no escaping it. Therefore, since we all have to go through it anyway, why not make the best of it?
When I feel yucky, I take a moment to be alone and have an attitude adjustment before allowing myself to go on a rampage and torture everyone in my path. While not always successful, I do at least make an effort to spare my family and friends from the “meno-monster.” I have learned to accept the changes rather than complain about them. I have learned to laugh about my maladies. I have learned to speak words of blessing and kindness instead of spewing what I feel like saying sometimes. I have learned that I can have self-control and be a pleasant person no matter how I am feeling.
Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, as are also love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness (Galatians5:22-23). If you are a follower of Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you (1Corinthians 6:19). The more we yield to the Holy Spirit, the more we will see His fruit ripen in our lives. Through every season, yes, even menopause, we can still keep a pleasant disposition.
How are you coping with the changes of life? Perhaps yours isn’t menopause yet, but we all go through seasons in life (Ecclesiastes3:1-11). Each season brings its own challenges but also blessings. Remember that seasons pass, and whatever you are going through will not last forever. You can endure anything when you realize that it is only temporary. Keep it in perspective and realize that “This too shall pass.” Choose to make the best of each season as it comes.
Here is some fun celebrating, or should I say making fun of, those wonderful physical changes that happen to all of us!
