Have you ever faced a day that looked abysmally dark despite the beaming sun shining down upon you?
Have you ever awoken to a partner who is suddenly and inexplicably despondent, irksome and full of fire?
Oh, dear friends, I believe we have all been the one consumed by hormones or on the receiving end of such overwhelming emotion.
As I am sure we are all acutely aware, hormones reign powerful in our bodies and minds; we all face the physical, mental and emotional shifts hormones trigger.
And, I am reluctant to admit, but must say that PMS, like other hormonal fluctuations, is absolutely real…sometimes mild and meek, sailing by like a feather in the wind, other times undeniably vicious and absurdly ferocious, like the greatest thunderstorm of the decade.
The presence and effect of PMS can vary from person to person, from month to month, from year to year. Not until recently did I realize how much I could be affected by something I once almost disbelieved.
This awareness is not an excuse, but rather an invitation to all of us to help assuage some of the challenges that hormonal shifts may create in our lives.
Let me express my compassion for my poor husband (and perhaps countless other innocent bystanders!) who has coped with my inexplicable grumpiness, inability to feel excited, and desperate need to be negative despite my better judgment. For some reason, he inevitably must bear the brunt of my frustrations in life (maybe because I know I can count on him to stand by me through it all?).
In my “real” life, I consistently focus on growing my good side and being the peace, love and yoga mama that I know I am, but I am human. I face the same demons that each of us do.
I do my best to move gracefully through every phase of my life, and yet, sometimes I move rather clumsily through my days.
My recent actions have been a prime example of what a firecracker I am…and those of you who know me would likely agree!
The thing is, it seems that in relationships we tend to share our brightest light and our deepest darkness with the ones we hold most dear, and as much as I strive otherwise, my sweetheart has certainly seen my dark side. I guess that’s the thing about commitment, right? We remain steadfast and loyal through the rough and smooth waters of our journey. And thankfully.
So this is the lesson: gaining perspective is essential when it comes to PMS (or any hormonal shifts we must face!). For women, we have the opportunity to recognize and share our feelings with our partners; for men, there is the chance to practice compassion and understanding and THE ART OF NOT TAKING IT PERSONALLY! 🙂
And for each of us arises another opportunity to practice FORGIVENESS. Above all, forgiveness heals us.
Forgiveness opens our hearts, eases our minds, and makes LOVE possible.
As I was chatting with a beloved friend about this reality, I so appreciated an anecdote she shared about her ex’s tactic for coping with her not so friendly days; he’d recognize her snappishness, realize that it was temporary, and then remain lighthearted and playful through the ensuing firestorm. What genius.
I suggested this playful approach for facing difficult days to my husband and have learned (finally!?!) to communicate so that we can all face our challenges together with (as much) grace and ease (as we can muster!)…and if all else fails, we can always just wait it out and forgive any negativity, embrace BEING HUMAN, and feel good in knowing that tomorrow will be, yet again, a brighter day.
Hoping your days are bright and that when the darkness creeps in, you find the grace within to move easily through…
Please comment about how you move with grace and ease through your most challenging days… Let us share our wisdom and help each other. 🙂
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