Hey Ladies, grab your man, your best male friend, your mature brother, and let’s chat about what Toni Braxton may have really been talking about in “Seven Whole Days”…ha!
For women, when the going gets tough, that’s when the tough get going! One would be crazy NOT to think a woman is the strongest in the land of the living. With her body, she holds life, then turns around and feeds that little living blessing with the same body!! It’s purely amazing. At times when necessary and others by choice, she raises not only her own, but others’ children into awesome adults. She helps turn boys into respectful young men and girls into empowered young ladies.
But let’s talk about what happens before that, in preparation of the miracle of life! Just think of all the things that a woman may encounter within a week:
- Cook breakfast,
- Pack lunches,
- Prepare children for school,
- Work 8-10 hours for 4-5 days,
- Cook dinner,
- Clean messes the kids (or their dad) made,
- Drive the kids to little league practice and/or game,
- Chase a toddler down to ensure successful potty training,
- Let the dog in and out; remember to feed said dog,
- Take the kids to swim lessons so they don’t fear the water like their mother,
- Bathe the children and get them ready for bed, and
- By all means – keep a great, positive attitude, because she should be grateful for all these things!
ALL WHILE BLEEDING 🩸 Yep, we’re talking about the inconvenient, uncomfortable, hassle of having a period!
According to WebMD, any length from 2-7 days is normal for a period. During this time, we experience:
- Cramping,
- Changes in Appetite,
- Mood swings,
- Bloating,
- Acne and breakouts, and
- Pure Exhaustion
I wish there was equal opportunity for men to experience MENstrual cycles as well. I mean, why not? Are they too busy? Most of the women I know blame Eve for eating that dog gone apple! The first mistake that cursed us forever! But what if we could correct that curse? What if we did something to ease the pain and inconvenience women experience on a monthly basis? How? Well you know I have some ideas:
- Help a Sister Out! One of the last things we want to do while walking around bleeding on ourselves is more back breaking work. Once you pick up that vacuum, ooooh you hate that you did. It would be great if all our strong, independent, hard-working men in our lives would just step in and say “I’ll take care of things this week!”
- Watch Ya’self! Homegirl cannot think straight. Some words may not get delivered in the best looking package. Every little thing that irritates her will be quadrupled during this period. What she won’t have – is time for it!!
- Give Us Paid Time Off! Provide us with some paid mental health and wellness off days to use for work. How productive can we really be while cramping every time the wind blows, then jumping up to check our napkin or pants to make sure it doesn’t look like we’ve become a stabbing victim! This was one of my worst experiences in middle/high school wearing khaki uniforms! It would have been great to have the option to work from home on those heavy days.
- Bring Down Your Expectations! Stop telling yourself that moms and women do it all and never seem to get tired! We Get Tired!! Stop expecting us to go above and beyond and never need a break. Stop expecting us to use our words (and eyes) wisely while talking to you, as you sit on that same spot of the couch for the 5th hour in a row….doing nothing! Put those expectations on a level playing field.
- Uplift Her & Make Her Smile! Let’s change the culture and celebrate our women during this time. She will appreciate a small, unexpected gift or gesture to acknowledge all that she goes through. Bring her flowers or her favorite little snack. Write her an inspiring note. Rub her back, feet, neck….ok that’s enough! Give her a hug – a Big Hug!!! Remember he who lets go first, loses.
At least once a month, we should be checking in on our women to make sure they are well and whether they need anything – whether having a period or not! It’s a simple task that often goes undone. Yes, women are strong, but they are also human. As the body gets overworked with no sign of restoration, it begins to shut down. This is what we don’t want to happen. So just take a minute and consider how you can help your TOUGH, BRAVE, RESILIENT, BEAUTIFUL, wife/mom/sister/daughter/friend continue to be her absolute BEST…PERIOD! ❤️💪🏽
Be Bold, Be Fly, and By All Means – Be You! 🦋
Bold Butterfly 