For while in the throes of celebrating the emergence of her daughter's fertility and transition into a blossoming future of wonder-ous wondrousness and experiencing a heart filled with inexplicable joy for the blessing of her mother-daughter-self together and as one, she felt a slight catch in her chest. A catch of thanksgiving, a catch of love and a catch of that something else and she knows instinctively that it was connected to the thoughts and feelings she has been entertaining. And accompanying these thoughts in an unobtrusive subtle way, she considers the newness of her season and finds herself tinged with a bit of giddiness and the undertones of perplexity as her own reality showed up.

Tick, (Time) – Tick, (is a precious) – Click (commodity). Ever-present yet ever-changing. Always in motion yet undetectable in its’ movement. Fleeting yet constant. Transient yet endless. She briefly ponders this notion and is satisfied with her philosophical awareness. But just as she is resigned and ready to once again repose, that “it”, that “cadence”, that “catch”, that “sense” steps past her enlightened conclusions and lands squarely in the center of her woman-spirit-self calling her to awaken, listen and receive.

Although she is still regularly menstruating, not having hot flashes or vaginal dryness, carrying a nice round backside and somewhat perky breasts, just as her daughter is transitioning into another realm of life, she herself is also moving non-stop towards the process of an unchartered and enchanting reality. This is the time to recognize that this mother and woman that is you is birthing something new inside of you. This is a time to embrace the wonder of becoming a marvelously reimagined creation with the heart, curiosity and courage of all that you have become unto this very day. And it is time for you to sit and speak with your seasoned sisters – the elders, your physician and the women in your life who love you. They all have a significant and specific role to play in the life of their daughter/sister/woman friend/self. If you/we let them, ask

them, and call them to it, they will teach, instruct, listen, learn, and hold your/our/their womanhood in sacred trust. Because our story as women does not end when we hand the torch of fertility to our young. And contrary to the opinion of some and the mis-education of others, our worth is not found in our girth, nor if we can or cannot give birth. We are wholly spectacular women who are merely scripting another chapter to our tale and composing another verse to our song.

Tick. Tick. Click.

Now don’t misunderstand, I am not suggesting that we as women are merrily skipping down the road to the change of life. As I stated in an earlier writing, some of use come down raising hell, fighting it with every fiber of our being and then some of us, just show up to it, ignorant as hell. And we don’t dismiss or trivialize the feelings of nostalgia that may come upon us in doing so. For when we see our daughters becoming our younger selves, we remember and we wish that our youth didn’t leave us so quickly, unexpectedly and decisively and maybe just maybe, that we could do some of it all over again.

Tick. Tick. Click.

I will assert however that although we may not have our youth in years, we can retain, reclaim and maintain our youthfulness. And I am passionately and compassionately admonishing and reminding us to keep our first joys and the feelings that warmed, sustained, preserved, encouraged, gave hope and helped us to know and appreciate love of self and respect for others. The things that make us happy and the fun of life that keep that youthful spirit alive in us.

Without question, there are going to be physical, psychological, biological and emotional changes that may sometimes kick your ass like the New England Patriots just recently beat the New York Jets, (hahahaha – couldn’t resist. I hate them with a perfect hatred,,, but I digress). And it’s going to be important to maintain a sense of humor and light-heartedness while gaining an understanding of what and why your experiences and reactions may be what they are. We must be kind to ourselves while diligently caring for our health and well-being. For example - when the time comes that you don’t get periods anymore, just think about the fact that there will be no more cramps, no more having to be

careful about what color or outfit to wear, not having to spend money on tampons or having to worry about getting pregnant – no more birth control that will make hair grow where it’s not supposed to and not being sure when your period is coming. And as for PMS that won’t be a concern since there is no more MS. However, I have heard tell that some women when they are going through the change have some helluva mood swings and you may think that a she-devil has invaded your body. Can’t help you there. No upside but definitely time to go see your physician. Hot flashes, again no upside but I have some of the fanciest fans that I use to match my outfits. Vaginal dryness – no fun either but there is Hormone Replacement Therapy. (I will reserve that for another post in the near future) However you get my point.

As we as progress along our journey through woman/motherhood, let our testimony be boldly and courageously proclaimed and punctuated with words such as, “Check Me Out, I am so full of all of my woman-self, my history, my present, my future and it is a beautiful thing.” Yes, we are ticking and clicking in complete union with our transitions, Tick – Tick – Click, (like the sound of high heels hitting the floor to the cadence of our rhythmic stride) and all the while making magical memories, creating stories of legends, and composing narratives that would make our readers blush, smile, cry, and laugh out loud. We have given birth and life to our daughters and we see ourselves in their images and they in ours and still we continue to bring forth!!!!