Raising Women

by Dr. Margaret Aranda

Little girls have the nice, biological and innate birthright of being born to a mother.  Lots of mothers know what it is to be a girl, to be a daughter, and to have (or not have) a mother.  First we learned that we were different from boys.  We were 'missing' something, you know.  It was kind of funny to the point of laughter for many of us, who just plain old thought it was funny.  

Later, we learned that we get our Periods, and that we have to wear a bra.  Or no, we 'get' to wear a bra.  And some of us wanted to get braces, wanted to wear contacts, wanted to wear high heels.  All a part of growing up, all a part of Raising Girls.  We were supposed to be prepared for this.

So maybe we grew up.  Yes, indeed, we were expected to grow up.  We learned how to wash our bras without putting them in the dryer or else the metal parts would seep out of the stitching, only to poke us under the arm.  Ouch, was that ever painful.  We learned to wash and hang our stockings, if we wear them at all.  

We read books on being a Mother, if we went through that stage in life.  We read books and talked to other mothers about being a mother, about teaching our children to grow.  We shared with other moms about breast feeding, pre-schools, recipes for baby food.  Perhaps.  Or perhaps we didn't have children.

We continued to age, many of us without a Mother to guide us past middle age.  What is supposed to happen here and now?  Many of us will spend 1/3 of our lives being post-menopausal.  It is not quite clear to me just how we are supposed to do this.  One would think there would be lots of books to read, blogs to scroll, radio and talk shows telling us just how to do this 'right'.  There are a few places, there are a few books.  The Movement exists.  Raising Women into the post-menopausal time is a transition time.  

It is a transition for the women, and it is a transition for our generation.  Never before have more women wanted, yearned for, or absorbed so much information.  Once women know that they need to know about being post-menopausal, they are interested.  They are interested in knowing about it in privacy, in confidence, and in preparation.  

Raising Women is the next step.  If you look around you, you will know that it is happening.

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Articles by Dr. Margaret Aranda

Menopause and Painful Intercourse

The Cochran Report

What Aristotle Thought of Menstruation

From Menarche through Menopause

The History of Menopause

The Different Types of Hysterectomies

Surgical Menopause and Testosterone Therapy

Bears Can Smell the Menstruation: Or Can They?