“I hate menopause,” a friend recently lamented. “I feel old, sweaty and unsexy.” Not me! Though my hot flashes still continue years after my periods stopped, on the whole I regard this change-of-life business as a boon. Reasons why…
- For the first time ever, I’m not constantly freezing. I don’t have to hit the gym to break a sweat…and I’m saving a bundle on heating bills.
- I no longer need a separate “fat week” wardrobe to accommodate a bloated belly-or an iron-clad bra to protect tender breasts.
- When I buy lovely underwear (with money that used to go to tampons), I don’t have to worry that it may get wrecked.
- My complexion hasn’t been this clear since I was nine. Wrinkles I can live with…zits are the pits.
- With PMS mood swings a thing of the past, I’m nice to my husband all month.
- Periods don’t make unexpected and unwelcome appearances during romantic weekend getaways.
- So what if I’m no longer flexible enough to swing from a chandelier? Sex is more spontaneous when there are no birth control hassles.
- Though I adored having babies, I do not long for another tot to call me Mama. In fact, as I’ve hinted to my 30-something stepson, I’d be thrilled to be called Grandma.
Yes, menopause signals the end of an era—but it marks a new beginning, too. That’s why, in traditional Chinese medicine, it’s referred to as a “second spring.” Who will I be in the years to come? I can’t wait to find out.
