I am a 56 year old, professional, highly educated woman whose job entails significant responsibility, decision making and practical skills. I worked my arse off to get the grades for uni. I am computer literate, can plumb in a dishwasher and put up shelves, have brought up two wonderful children, for prolonged periods as a single mother (forces spouse). I delivered our first child in the USA whilst my husband was deployed to Germany in combat for three months during our 2.5 year exchange posting. I passed my postgraduate exams at 41 (after a 4 year ”breeding sabbatical”) whilst back at work part time and husband was working away, simultaneously looking after a 1 year old and a 2 year old. I weathered the storm of senior colleagues’ (mainly the full time working mothers) sniping about my lack of commitment to my job. I now run a full time job, a private business, a house, large garden, 4 dogs, hens, and am still keeping tabs on fledging teenagers. I scrub up ok although everything is rapidly taking on a blancmange like consistency – including my brain.

I frequently get thing wrong but hopefully recognise that and learn.

I look for and usually find something to laugh about every day

All very satisfactory and rewarding, but I have to stop and remind myself sometimes of what I can do.

Menopause has hit me like a sledgehammer.

Anxiety landed on me like an invisibility cloak and pervades everything I do.

Sometimes something as simple as planning a meal and shopping for the ingredients completely floors me.

Some days I think I should feel superhuman but feel unworthy.

Other days I spend most of my time trying not to cry and being furious with myself for being so wet.

I’m putting this out there for women and men of a certain age who recognise this.

For the Women – you are not alone. This is Mother Nature unfairly biting you on the bum. She will leave you be in time.

For the Men – give her a break. She’s not mad. This won’t last forever. Small acts of kindness go a long way.