Here in this Middle Stretch Ode to Menopause
By Heidi Floren
November 2019
It started that weekend, my birthday, my girlfriends.
Great hotel
Tasting wine
Sharing food
Rainy October weekend with memories of the past
and hopes for the future.
We laughed and laughed about the changes we are experiencing here in this middle stretch of life.
the heat and chills.
the emotion and mood swings.
the invisibility.
We all had them to some degree.
We all tried to control them you see,
and nothing worked either.
So here we sat together in union, we girlfriends of 50 and above
Mimosas raised in toast and love.
Expressing Dear universe, hear us now, and
give us the power to welcome future’s vow…
There was a pause in the weather.
Sitting across from the big window looking at the bay.
Got first choice since it was my birthday.
In some kinda vortex spot I guess,
cause when we toasted the clouds split and
a stream of sunlight shot through the window,
through the bubbles in my raised mimosa
and into my body like light through a prism.
My mimosa fizzled at the top and subsided.
A breeze rushed up from my ankles like it was guided and
tossed my hair upside down for an instant.
I dropped back in my chair and surveyed the situation..
all was ok..
I felt good..
more than good..
I felt elation.
Was it the sun’s reflection?
Did the breeze cause a vortex-a-tion?
We girls decided it could have been the mimosas and
too much relaxation!
But right away we started to see, my girlfriends and me,
that changes had occurred which seemed completely absurd.
People taking two steps back when I had heat flashing.
A quick emotional connection with someone in passing.
I could walk around unseen and unheard and
change the local energy with a positive word.
I was there.. but..
They didn’t hear my voice really.
They couldn’t see my form really.
They thought.. THEY thought the thoughts.
That was the moment I realized …
I had power.
—I’m strong enough to radiate my heat or my chills toward someone else’s challenging ills. Sorta like Iron Man’s hands but don’t need a suit, it’s built-in already so makes the suit moot.
—I’m open enough to send empathy to some other, so they can access feeling and help a brother. It’s that walking in the shoes of another thing, I can do that for someone who’s stuck and needs healing.
—I’m confident enough to be invisible and plant ideas for others to act on. Sit back. Watch the action. New Perception. Determination.
—I’m aware enough to quickly change a mood to cause distraction. Whether it’s my mood or yours, something will happen to create a change reaction.
That was the weekend it all started.
My birthday, my girlfriends, the laughing for hours
and the moment
my menopause symptoms had become superpowers.
Now practice makes perfect my Ol’Dad used to say.
Continue to hone these mad skills each day.
And let them be open to those who I pass,
Cause here in this middle stretch,
I now know
I Am Bad Ass. To be continued……