A Midlife Woman's Manifesto

Re: Women in Midlife

We are no longer giving in and giving up just because we have reached a certain number of years.  We are still thriving and enjoying all that life has to offer.  We are constantly discovering new things - both about ourselves and about the world around us.

We are defying expectations and redefining the term "age appropriate".  We have spent the past 40-50+ years figuring out our personal style and what makes us feel good when we put it on.  We're not going to change that now to fit into the box of what anyone else believes someone our age should be wearing.  

We'll wear our hair short, mid-length, or long.  We'll wear a full face of makeup - or none at all.  We'll regularly color our hair - our we may let our silver strands shine. 

We're tired of playing a game we can't win.  We're tired of being told we are either trying to cling to youth and should learn to "grow old gracefully" - or we're "letting ourselves go." So, from now on, we're doing what makes us feel most like our true selves.

We're no longer being silent about perimenopause and menopause.  We're sharing our experiences - the good and bad.  We're advocating for better treatments and healthcare in these stages of life for ourselves and for the generations of women coming up behind us.  

We are showing up, showing off, being seen, and making sure our voices are heard.  Get used to it.