What is normal? Flow, Timing, Color, PMS, we'll talk about it all.

From the outside it may appear that I am cool, calm....even collected. Always referred to as patient and grounded. But on the inside.....it's like a volcano on the verge of "the big one".

For years, I have worn this mask like a badge of honor; priding myself on "not letting things get to me". All the while not realizing that the effort of pushing everything down in exchange for a brave face was actually exhausting me to failure.

So wrapped up in keeping everything on the inside.....my calm demeanor has (at times) turned to more of a stone-cold exterior; unable to be penetrated by such things as pain and sorrow....but equally as unable to experience true joy and fulfillment.

What others (and even myself) did not see is the inner turmoil keeping me from living; in a clear plexiglass container thinking that I was protected, not realizing I was suffocating.

The worst part, the all-consuming act of wearing this mask, kept me from being preset....being in the moment....from living.

Your period isn't just some annoying span of time each month, its part of your entire Menstrual Cycle and your Fifth Vital Sign as a woman. Lean into what it's telling you.

As we age, it's not just about how long we live.....its about the quality of those living years too.