Hormones

Edited

I frequently read the posts on the Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths blog, so of course I checked out her latest post entitled "On Being a Hormonal Woman".  As I was reading, one quote in particular stood out to me: "Even more significiantly (for me) we fail to recognise the beauty of hormones. How they empower and enable us all to feel more deeply, to empathise, to become energised, to care."

In fact, I found myself nodding at various bits throughout the post, but that one really got to me, because I know that I am often that person who fails to recognise the beauty of my hormones with all their ups and downs.  As a teen, I absolutely hated using hormones as an excuse for my moods.  I was adamant that I would control my moods, and not be controlled by my hormones.  Now, I'm not saying I should be controlled by my hormones now, but also that I shouldn't fight against them, for this is how God has designed women.  What I used to see as only a weakness, I am now seeing as a potential strength, even if the ups and downs (or, in my case, the nausea that comes with higher oestrogen levels) can be annoying at times.  I think part of my thinking in the past came from the fact that we don't acknowledge and value the cyclic nature of our hormones. Many women suppress them through the pill, or try to ignore them or deny their influence upon us. At least I've fallen into both of those categories at different times.  The question is whether we're truly valuing who we are as women, who by nature have cyclic hormonal patterns throughout our lives, if we fail to acknowledge and accept this.

Nor should our reactions or arguments or feelings be dismissed as simply being the result of hormones.  Believe me, few things make me angrier than being told my argument isn't valid because I'm hormonal, or having someone ask me if I'm hormonal because I'm getting upset about something.  I may be hormonal at that time, but then again, I may not, and either way my argument or feelings should not be declared invalid.

I'm glad for this post at DBM so that I've had the opportunity to rethink my perceptions about my hormones.  Perhaps in the future I won't see them as the enemy to be fought against, but as a strength which can work with me.