Here’s a happy thought. As a post-menopausal woman, you can wave goodbye to near 40 years of periods. That’s four decades of discomfort, extra expenses, occasional disasters with white pants, and unpredictable cycles. Say farewell to PMS and stomach cramps, adios to the hefty drain on your purse caused by spendings on sanitary items, and welcome to enjoying your sexual life without worrying about the consequences! Despite all these obvious reasons to celebrate, women were taught to fear menopause thanks to the well-publicized unpleasant symptoms this milestone can bring – night sweats, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, you know them. The term “menopause” has become tainted.

It’s very important to unlearn those negative connotations because studies have shown that the way a culture perceives menopause affects how women in that culture experience menopause. In countries where aging for women isn’t seen as such a negative change like Sweden and Italy, women report fewer physical symptoms in menopause! In certain traditions, women passing through menopause are even celebrated and revered for their wisdom. Menopause is simply a normal and natural transitional stage in life in much the same way as becoming a teenager or a mother. Make up your own rituals, honor every stage in your life, and have a happy menopause day!