More Rituals in Life- From a full grown Miss to an outgrown Mrs

Most girls dream of having a grand party when they turn 18.

So when a beautiful lass named Eloah Grace Cabrera had her debut Last March 12 at Dagupan Garden Hotel, her parents-- Ptr. Windsor and the former Thess Dalioan—did not leave any stone unturned down to the minutest detail.

The debutante looked so radiant in her two gowns. She wore a fabulous red ballroom gown just before dinner. Then she changed into a red short formal dress just before she and her court did a mean tango dance number instead of the usual cotillion repertoire.

It was well-attended by well-wishers including those who participated in the program which included the following: 18 candles, 18 roses, 18 wisdom and 18 treasures.

It’s funny though that after the gifts were opened, almost 80% of the presents were bags. We kidded the debutante that she could actually fill up a stall and start a bag business out of what she got that night. Well, the tinday labi of the Bangus Festival is just a month away…

To Eloah,may you enjoy this new milestone in your life as you journey towards adulthood.

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 Some women are able to breeze through the menopausal stage with ease, others don’t.

I know of women who are like purring felines in their early forties but eventually got transformed into a pack of roaring lionesses once they reached the menopausal age.

Some are grouchy, easily irritated by even the slightest misunderstanding. Better not get in their way when they wake up at the wrong side of the bed.

A friend laughs out loud whenever I remind her about how strange her mood swings were during her off days just a year ago.

And then there’s my sister who would call me every now and then complaining of headache, hot  flashes, insomnia and even difficulty of breathing especially at night.

I was told, “Soon, you’ll join our league. Explain to your family members what you might go through so they would understand the changes in your behavior. It is important that you have a good support system because even the person undergoing menopausal stage does not understand why she is behaving in a certain way.”

Okay.

But there are exceptions. My sister-in-law belongs to the fortunate few who were not able to experience the symptoms commonly expressed by a majority of women. Sabi nya, “Hindi naman umiinit ulo ko.” But still, I can recall the many times she failed to attend family gatherings because she was hospitalized due to hypertension—a symptom most often experienced by women just when their monthly period were about to end.

Just imagine if women undergoing such predicament face other stressors like problems on budget, on family relationship, on career or business conflicts, etc.

Hmmm, that is why it’s hard to lose one’s cool nowadays. People might misconstrue that one is having this health issue called Menopause. Well, could it be just that? Just asking.