Reclaiming Your Vibrance

As the saying goes “You’ve Come a Long Way Baby!” and you have. At this point in your life you have accomplished feats unimaginable to many. You likely have acted selflessly and gave more of yourself than you have received. You have said just let me do this one last thing for others and then I can focus on myself. Today is the day to claim your focus and reclaim your vibrance. My name is Monica, I am 51, mother of 2, wife, professional and friend to many. I lived up my 20’s, poured myself into others in my 30’s and 40’s and here I am in my 50’s. I always imagined my 50’s being an Odessey of focusing on my interests and passions. The kids are away, I hit a grove in my career, my marriage is good. However, my 50’s hit me like running into a brick wall. I did not recognize myself. I was angry, forgetful, felt no sexual desire, overweight, and the physical pain was debilitating. I thought I was going mad. I was always a quick thinker and could get things done. I found myself unable to complete sentences and so exhausted that I had to trick myself to get out of bed. On weekends I forced myself to leave the house because if I stayed home I would stay in a dark room alternating between sleeping and crying.

I could see the disappointment in my loved one’s faces when they were around me. My kids would say mom you have to get up. My husband would rationalize I was going through a phase. My friends didn’t recognize me. My professional collegues new ones thought I was a fraud and couldn’t understand why others in the profession thought so highly of me. My old collegues I hid from because I was a dim light.

I had lost my vibrance. Everyday was a battle, that I felt I was losing. I would wonder how was I going to make it another 20 or 30 years like this? Even how was I going to survive another year?

I found out that my situation was not unique. Every woman fortunate enough to live a long life will experience somthing like this… maybe less severe, maybe the same, or maybe worse. WELCOME TO MENOPAUSE! I learned I likely started the menopausal process 7-10 years before but did not know it. My understanding of menopause is your periods stop and you may have hot flashes. That’s what my mother, my aunts, my neighbors went through. I thought it was simple… but menopause impacts every organ in our body it is effectively readying us for a decline in health. The full effects of menopause are not discussed in our culture. Suffering through menopause is like a badge of honor to some. Once again, it’s our toxic hero culture that equates suffering to holiness.

I started Hermara Life to end this cycle of suffering. I want menopause to be discussed openly amongst friends, family, community and at work. Menopause impacts every aspect of a woman’s life. It is unbelievable that 50% of the US population is suffering between the ages of 40-65 years old and no one talks about it? This should be a national imperative.

Hermara Life will bring you:

• Education on menopause and perimenopause

• Community to discuss, share and learn how to gain back your vibrance

• Supplements to help ease the suffering and provide relief

• Links to providers to obtain FDA approved treatments to provide relief

  I chose the name Hermara because we are all HER!

  • Mara denotes unveiling strength, grace

  • The greek goddess of dawn and light was Hemera.

    I want this for all of us, and for the women who will come after us.

    Let’s join together to end the dark ages of

    menopause education and care in the United States.