Nobody Handed Us the Manual

The things we women have to endure throughout our lives are a crazy mix of emotions, responsibilities, heartbreaks, and blessings. I'm going to be honest—I was not prepared for all this mess.

Let me ask you something...did your momma ever sit you down and tell you everything you were going to have to go through in life?

No?

Mine didn't either.

I feel like when I turned 18, they basically opened the door and said, "Whew...well, we're done!" 😂

I know women my age will probably relate to this much more than the younger generation. When we were growing up, our parents did the best they could to raise good humans, but looking back now, I realize they were struggling just as much as we are. Once we were old enough to work, pay our own bills, and make our own way, you better believe they expected us to do exactly that.

As I've grown older, I've realized just how unprepared I felt for so many seasons of life. We simply figure it out as we go. Sometimes we get it right, and other times...well...we drop the ball. If they were handing out life manuals, I definitely missed that line.

Now, at 53, I've found more peace than I had in years before.

Maybe we simply reach a point where we realize, "This is it." If we don't start taking care of ourselves now, then when are we going to?

By this stage of life, many of us have watched our children grow up and leave home. Some of us have buried our parents. Others have welcomed grandchildren into the world. Our hormones have changed. Our bodies have changed. Sadly, many women have experienced the loss of a spouse, and some have even endured the unimaginable loss of a child.

Those kinds of experiences change us whether we want them to or not. They shape who we become.

And somehow, even after all of that, the bigger picture can still feel just a little out of focus.

I don't have any magic answers for you.

What I do have is empathy...and love.

This website and blog have become therapeutic for me. For whatever reason, it feels like exactly what I'm supposed to be doing in this season of my life, so that's what I'm doing.

I've always been a sharer—probably an over-sharer, if I'm being honest. Keeping things bottled up has never been my strong suit. It feels healthier to let them out than to carry them around.

Maybe you're the complete opposite. Maybe sharing is hard for you.

Or maybe—and I think many of us fall into this category—you simply feel like you don't have anyone to share with.

We all need someone.

Someone who will listen.
Someone who won't judge.
Someone who will simply sit beside us for a while.

Holding everything inside isn't healthy. We're already carrying enough through the changes in our lives and the changes in our bodies. We don't need to add loneliness to the list.

So friend, if you don't have someone, let this be a safe place.

Send me a message.

I'll pray with you and for you.

We'll pour a couple of glasses of sweet tea, encourage one another, laugh when we can, cry when we need to, and help each other make it through another day.

Much love to all my fellow women riding the struggle bus of life...and perimenopause.

We've got this. 🤍