It’s World Menopause Month!

Break out the party hats and balloons! October is World Menopause Month!

We should make each of the 31 days an individual observation of the ways in which women in midlife are killing it, don’t you think? Maybe October 10^th should be dedicated to strong women in previously male-dominated leadership positions, and October 17^th could be celebration of the women who take care of children and elderly parents. Cake every day! Free massages for midlife women everywhere!

It is well known that our culture over-values youth and vitality. In the past, women have been viewed as worthy via their social equity; production of children, objectification as sexual receptacles. Thankfully, women’s liberation has pushed beyond many of these tired and oppressive ideas. Even with this progress, are women in midlife somehow devalued? Are we invisible, simply because we are over a certain age? Yes. But one can hope that through the cultural shifts in thinking and increased dialogue about women’s journeys and experiences across the lifespan, we can broaden the narrow view of women’s lives. As a group, women in midlife should already be celebrating one another’s growth and raising each other up. Increasing awareness through ideas like World Menopause Month can only do us good, as a collective group of ass-kicking women in midlife. 

Top 5 Reasons Why We Should Celebrate, Acknowledge and Appreciate Women in Menopause

1. Self-honor. We must celebrate so that others will observe our acknowledgement of self. If we can honor ourselves and one another publicly as worthy women of midlife (should that have a hashtag in front of it??) then we have taken on the power of that ownership. There is strength in recognizing one’s collective group value. We have to see it first and then share our observation with the world. 
2. There are lots of us. There are A BILLION OF US worldwide. Strength in numbers, baby! Revolution, anyone? 
3. Look what we can do. It is through the process of menstruation that our very lives come into existence at all! We should celebrate the beginning, middle and end of our reproductive cycles; we make the humans! It’s a damn miracle, when you think about it. They should be giving us annual parades and days off from work, honestly.
4. Greater knowledge of self. One of the most beautiful changes of menopause is the transition into a greater version of ourselves. Our perspectives sharpen; we are more focused in on our values and aren’t as willing to waste time on life’s petty bullshit. We take a pass on the drama and laugh off the crap that might have once thrown us for a loop. 
5. We defy the stereotypes. Menopausal women and women in midlife defy stereotypes. We have made our own paths and now are finding joy in this new phase of life in which we can finally focus on ourselves. Menopausal women can work, play and find life balance; we can have adventures or stay at home and create our own joy. 

This October, take a moment to sit with gratitude for your growth process over these last few decades. What are you most proud of within your own growth as a person in midlife? What have you had to release in this journey, and what have you had to embrace?

Honor yourself. Always, but especially during this month. Ask yourself what you need in order to have contentment and life satisfaction in these next years of your life. Your needs are valid, important and worthy of your attention. Be sure to lift yourself up while celebrating menopausal women of the world.

Maybe the upcoming generations of menopausal women will learn from this apocalypse of the stereotype of the menopausal woman and will redefine what it means to be a woman in midlife. Contentment, satisfaction and self-compassion may be the new buzzwords for women in midlife. We lead the way toward that shift by embracing our journey publicly and privately and celebrating what it means to be a menopausal woman who is open to the potential of the future rather than clinging to what we know of the past.

Happy World Menopause Month from Team Caria!