Guest Author - A. Maria Hester, M.D.
What is it like to be a woman, you ask? Well, womanhood starts out in childhood. As little girls we played and laughed. With our vivid imaginations we conjured up invisible friends and when we ran out of energy we sat quietly and played with our dolls.
That was the time when our mothers said we should not be in a rush to grow up. Take the time and enjoy being a little girl, they said. Easier said than done.
It seemed like our teenage years would never come. Finally, after watching movie after movie about love and marriage, and spending countless hours daydreaming about our first kiss we reached the terrible teenage years. While we once thought that at that time we could say that we have made it, once those years came we realized that being a teen would never do. That embarrassing acne just would not seem to go aware no matter how many wonder products we tried. The newness of our miserable, often painful menstrual periods kept our minds racing, and who could forget the feelings of crankiness and bloating around that time of the month.
The boys just did not seem to understand what it was like to be a teenage girl. Our hormones raged sometimes and sometimes they just drove us and everyone around us crazy. Oh, and those poor, unsuspecting bystanders who just happened to be in our way at the wrong time of the month. Have you ever wondered how many times you yelled at some innocent person who crossed your path during that time? Or what about the uncontrollable mood swings that made people, mainly the opposite sex, think you were a little off your rocker.
Finally early adulthood came along. While our hearts were hopelessly longing to meet Mr. Right, our bodies continued their relentless hormonal escapades. We longed for the completeness and comfort of a husband, 2.5 kids, and of course, a puppy or two. But once we found our long sought after happiness we found ourselves wondering if there was more. After all, getting up in the middle of the night and changing smelly diapers could not possibly be that true pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Nevertheless, the joy of a family is nothing to take for granted. Nothing could be more satisfying.
While many women have successfully lived the American dream, many others are still hoping and praying that one day their lives will be full of the warmth and love that almost all women long for deep inside. Some of us have more children than we need, while others of us spend lots of money on fertility devices and treatments to increase our chances of one day having to get up in the middle of the night to change those smelly diapers.
Mid-life comes along and we wonder where the time went. Yes, the hormones are still fluctuating and do not fool yourself into thinking that the men, who sometimes do seem like they are from Mars, will truly understand us. We are really just built differently and that is how our great Creator meant things to be. And when menopause comes along, look out. Our once seemingly tame hormones turn us into a hodge podge of emotions.
Then we reach our silver years. Wiser and stronger than ever, we are determined to take on the world and catch up on those things that we think we have missed while rearing a family or struggling through a stressful career. We start to worry about our health more and really take note of our bodies like we never have before. Sometimes when we reflect on our lives we smile and think warm, fuzzy thoughts, while at other times we weep and wonder what we should have done differently.
Womanhood, it is a complicated journey from inception to completion. The less fair sex may never really understand us, but not to worry, we understand ourselves. United we stand ladies. We should not forget the sisterhood that we alone can support and nurture. By the way, have you called a friend lately just to let her know you are there for her? If not, you know what to do.
Peace.
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