大象传媒

From Sarah Joseph, Editor of a Muslim lifestyle magazine:听
Yesterday was World Menopause Day. It鈥檚 an issue that isn鈥檛 easy to talk about. I wouldn鈥檛 say it鈥檚 taboo as such, it鈥檚 just speaking about it doesn鈥檛 feel like 鈥渢he done thing to do鈥�. It鈥檚 something personal, and private, and yet the issues and implications of the menopause affect women the world over, and have an impact on society as a whole. The menopause is inevitable for women. It is part of the process of aging that simply can鈥檛 be avoided. Whilst some women can fly through the menopause, for others it can be years experiencing a whole host of health issues.听
And the implications are not just personal 鈥� in the UK 14 million working days are lost every year because of symptoms relating to the menopause and perimenopause, let alone the effects it has on families and on relationships. Yet it is not something I find that we openly talk about very often, and I do struggle to work out why. Perhaps, because it is a phase of a woman鈥檚 life which is about aging, it can be seen as being about decline. Unlike pregnancy, for example, it is not a time for celebration. However, in some cultures women do welcome this phase of their lives, becoming known as "wise women" or spiritual leaders and holding a place of power in their communities. But no two women鈥檚 experience is the same, and for many it can feel like one is entering the autumn of one鈥檚 life, with the bite of winter鈥檚 chill just around the corner.听
Perhaps though we can look at it with a different lens. The Qur鈥檃n is full of stories of aging. It is not seen as something negative, rather something natural, respectful, and beautiful, albeit sometimes contrasted with the obligations of the strength of youth. So even if it is the autumn of one鈥檚 life then reframing it could help us see the beautiful energy of the changing colours of the trees, and the richness of the fallen leaves for the earth鈥檚 natural cycle. It may be a time for judicious pruning, as the energy of summer is no longer there, but it can still be a positive and beautiful if one can reflect on its meaning and its power. And given I am a woman of 鈥渁 certain age鈥� 鈥� that reflection seems a good idea to me.