Menopause: When Your Body Starts Writing Its Own Script

A few thoughts about change, acceptance, and learning to laugh along the way.

When I was much younger, I heard a lot about menopause. But hearing about it and experiencing it was quite a wake-up call. One moment life felt comfortably predictable, and the next moment my body seemed to have a mind of its own. No one really prepares you for the strange unpredictability of menopause…

The first clue was the absurd amount of hair left behind in my brush. Then came the night sweats and hot flushes. I was a whirlwind of emotions—anxious, irritated, frustrated, you name it. And let's not forget the infamous weight fluctuations. Someone once asked me, “Why are you so impatient, is it menopause?” I wanted to snap back, “Yes, and what’s your excuse?” but I bit my tongue.

Menopause became the scapegoat for everything, and eventually I started using it to my advantage in every situation.

I decided I needed a fan. The only one I found required assembly, which turned into an all-afternoon project filled with swearing and sweating. Eventually, we upgraded to air conditioning—our best investment ever.

Night sweats deserve their own spotlight. I would wake up drenched and overheating, struggling to sleep while my husband snored peacefully beside me. My leg would often escape from under the duvet, providing instant relief. We started bickering over the air-conditioning remote, so I began hiding it in random places—inside a sock, a shoe, even a pillowcase. That did the trick. With the aircon on full blast, I'd lie under a thin sheet feeling warm but comfortable, while my husband shivered under layers of duvets.

The truth is that no one really prepares you for this life change. Menopause is unpredictable. You find yourself reflecting on life and noticing how your energy shifts. I am getting older; wrinkles are multiplying, and my hair is greying. But thank goodness for my miracle-working hairstylist! I am thinking of retiring. People look at you differently, or sometimes not at all—as if you have become invisible. It made me wonder: am I entering the last chapter of my life?

We have to accept that our bodies change and let go of certain expectations. I have learned to listen to my body. I am gentler with myself. Life does not stop—it simply changes direction. I have become wiser, and I take things easier. I tend to see the small, beautiful things this life has to offer. I count my blessings, and I am grateful every day for a life well-lived.

Menopause may be a chapter we never asked for, but perhaps it is also a reminder that life is still unfolding — and that we are still becoming who we are meant to be.

Have you ever had a moment like this?

— Frannie ☕