My sweetheart just turned forty-five,
And I love her, oh, so dearly.
But I’m a little mystified,
Since she’s acting, oh, so queerly.

"Oh, it’s nothing that you’ve said or done,"
She assures me, ever sweetly.
"My Change Of  Life has now begun."
Then, she smiles and winks discreetly.

Smiling back, I take her hand,
Reassuring and placating.
In truth, I didn’t understand
A thing that she was stating!

Just what she meant by "Change Of Life"
I didn’t have a clue!?
And when I asked my darling wife
Into a rage she flew!

"Well, I’m always tired!  I’m hot!  I’m cold!
I didn’t sleep last night!
I’m fat!  I’m ugly!  I’m getting old!
My clothes don’t fit me right!

I  think I’d like to KILL you,
And I’d love to run away!
But I know how that would thrill you,
So, for spite, I think I’ll stay!

My body’s turned against me,
And I want to SCREAM again!
My hormones have convinced me
That this "Change" is caused by MEN!

Yes, you just sit there smiling
While I’m going through pure hell!
You think you’re so beguiling?
You think I couldn’t tell?

This is some cruel joke you play!
It’s all your fault, no doubt!
You never loved me anyway
You selfish, brutish, lout!"

Yes, my sweetheart just turned forty-five,
And she changes by the hour.
Like Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde
She goes from sweet to sour!

But I’ve been told, "This is a phase."
They say, "This, too, shall pass."
So, I’ll remember better days,
‘Till they come again…..
AT LAST!!!

Paul Weller
Rio Dell, CA.
By the way,  I love your web site AND the cartoon!! 
I wish you all the best!!I'll be a regular visitor to the Men's page!.

thanks to Bill LaRocque

Someone sent me this post from a menopause message board:

"My sister-in-law was having night sweats and insomnia really bad. One night her husband in a half awake state and of course no glasses on, he said he was suddenly aware of a whooshing sound and could see red lights flashing as he looked towards his wife's side of the bed. He tells it like this "as I slowly woke up more, I realized Louise was fanning herself which made a whooshing sound and the red lights popping on and off were the numerals on the digital clock that he could see intermittently in between the waves of the fan."

The book indeed gave me an insight into issues such as hot flashes, headaches and lowered libido, so much so that I now wish my wife and I had read this book while she was menopausal. The non-HRT analysis in the book would have been important to her - the empathy gained from understanding the issue of menopause would be important to any significant other!

http://www.supportiveguy.com/