The Winds of Change....

I read recently that menopause is actually just one day.

There are stages leading up to The Day; pre menopause, peri menopause and the ever popular Post Menopause.
I believe my self has been trying to cope with all the ramifications of the season of change in women, by trying to accept all that it means.
I have worked this out in as many stages as there are names for it.
Some of has been fun, some sad and most just...life changing.
So here's the deal:

When 'they' call this period of life in a woman's life, they mean just that. Change.
Nearly every single, and I mean every single, aspect of my life has undergone a Change or Adjustment and it has been interesting.

A Non Exhaustive List of My Changes (with the exception of the obvious)

• I am now patient with sewing, crafting and animals (still working on the human adult variety)
• I like more colors
• Food selections are different.  While I love chocolate, other candy looks kinda icky to me...I can crave healthy food like my body is trying to atone for it's past years of poisoning
• I really don't care what I look like in public as much as before.  Case in point: This week, I had an ice cream need.  Grabbed truck (another topic) keys and headed to McD's for a sundae.  While ordering inside to keep from being caught in the very long drive thru line, I realized that I had my very shoddy paint clothes on.  I had put down my brush and zipped out the door without a moments notice.  No wonder the stares.  I thought it funny, not embarrassing.
• I willingly wear comfortable shoes, done with being worried about style
• I am less judgmental.  Much less.
• I don't mind being alone
• I do not recognize my skin; it's texture, it's fickle unpredictability 
• I will listen to all sides, completely convince that in this,the most knowledgeable time of my life, I really don't know squat (hence the name of this blog)
• I embrace the fact that there is less of my life ahead than there is behind me
• I would rather listen than talk these days
• I have become very clumsy 
• I don't trust my judgment on many matters
• I can acquiesce to new opinions and time frames like never before

While parts of this list seems depressive or maudlin, do believe me when I say that it's all good.  Having the rare privilege to have yourself repackaged, redesigned and reinvented is an interesting thing.  It only gets difficult if you rale against the tide of life's patterns and work to stem the flow of progressive growth, emotionally, physically and mentally.  There was a time that I figured that aging was for someone else.  I arrogantly thought that those that wore socks with there sandals or elastic band slacks were just giving up too soon.  I thought that if I just tried realllll hard, I would escape this thing called aging. Well.

So this is being said to encourage you.  To encourage those on the cusp of this time of life. To encourage those in your early twenties that think this stage is brought on by weak temperament or poor lineage.  To encourage those with small children, that life's phases are just that: Phases.  And like the moon, it comes around predictably and quickly.

This Time of Life is swell despite it's need for glasses.  Dear Nellie observed recently in my handwritten note of last week, 'you seemed to have found contentment in this stage of your life'....Very astute, Dear Nellie....
And if I could bestow this mantle upon all that graced the portals of this blog, I would willingly, gladly, abundantly ...

Now go.  Embrace Your Phase.  And bless you in doing it....