Greencallings.com came about after I left a corporate job that soaked up a good portion of my time and life force. Maybe you know what it’s like to be in a career, asking yourself, “Is this what I’m supposed to be doing?” The job soon answered “no.” Not directly of course, but in being overlooked for a position I’d worked hard for. We do get signs, and sometimes they break our hearts.
I heard the answer and left.
While I knew it was time to leave, I didn’t know where I was going. Quitting coincided with intensifying symptoms of menopause. Instinctively, I found myself looking for examples of women ages 50+ who were cutting new paths. I longed for stories in which I could see myself as I am now—not maiden, bride/lover, or mother—but midlife woman who’s earned some wrinkles and wisdom.
I’ve wondered if menopause could be an initiation—a deconstructive and reconstructive process for the second half of life (rather than a cultural curtain call).
I didn’t find many examples at first, but I did notice social media ads selling myriad potions to fend off age. I looked to cinema for inspiration, but only a handful of films feature midlife women, and fewer still are written and directed by women. I don’t know of many novels with female protagonists age 50+, but there is a growing selection of nonfiction books on menopause and midlife. And I’ve read many!
In my exploring, I’ve wondered if menopause could be an initiation—a deconstructive and reconstructive process for the second half of life (rather than a cultural curtain call). The human body fascinates me with its ability to return to homeostasis, and why would menopause be any different? I kept looking for a new lens through which I could see midlife because Western culture’s lens is cloudy at best. Imagine my delight when I learned that the Chinese, who have a 3,000-year written history and culture, refer to the time following menopause as a woman’s “second spring.”
In her poem Blossom, Mary Oliver writes:
In April
the ponds open
like black blossoms,
the moon
swims in every one;
there’s fire
everywhere: frogs shouting
their desire,
their satisfaction.
The concept of “second spring”— life blossoming again—inspired the creation of greencallings.com. I hoped the site could be a resource for those who are just as curious about possibilities in the second half of life as I am.
As greencallings.com enters a new year, here’s what I’m planning:
- To bring midlife women’s stories to life on my blog and possibly a podcast (a growth edge for me, yikes.) Do you have a good story to tell? Please share it with me!
- To host more wisdom circles for midlife women. I’ve been trained in group spiritual direction and regularly host and participate in circles. A circle is a small gathering where we speak from the heart on a topic and listen with presence, non-judgement, and support. The wisdom that arises from the group is the teacher. Join us! Registration for the next online wisdom circle opens February 1.
Sending warm wishes during these winter holidays! 🌿⭐️🌿
Greencallings.com is dedicated to helping you thrive in midlife so you can bring your wisdom and gifts to the world.