This was an original post for LA Moms Blog on October 9, 2008. SV Moms Group was acquired by Technorati so I post my archives here on Fridays.
It’s that time of the month. No, not the day I get the newest issue of Real Simple in the mailbox. It’s the hormonal rollercoaster of the breeding years. I can handle the sanitary challenges, the bloating, the fatigue. It’s the mood swings that kill me.
When the low mood hits, I somehow forget that I’ve been here before, and I get really down. I vow to simplify my life, wipe my calendar clean of commitments, get through this day, and take to my bed. I plan to meditate, to get back to basics, to identify what it is I truly need in my life.
On my lunch break today I wandered aimlessly around a local drugstore, having filled my basket with an emergency ration of feminine products, not knowing what I wanted to eat for lunch. I plunked a can of processed food in my cart, then found myself immobile between the candy aisle and the chips aisle, unable to make a decision. Alas, the minutes ticked away, and I had to get back to my post. Feeling silly for turning to Chef Boyardee, I returned the can to the shelf and checked out, still not knowing what I would eat for lunch.
And then it came to me, like a voice from beyond, or a second personality talking within my head: You need a chocolate milkshake.
Luckily there was a fast-food joint nearby (because in Los Angeles, they’re oh so few and far between!) and I had that cold chocolately goodness in hand within minutes. I drank the shake as I drove back to the office with financial news on the radio. It seemed a good investment at the time.
A few hours later, I am struck by the amazing turnaround in my mood. I happily jot new social engagements down in my calendar and handle my work with my normal good cheer. I know I’ll have a great sugar crash soon, but at least I’ve gotten through the last few hours without a frown.
The lesson from this is that I need to keep an emergency bottle of chocolate pills in my menstrual-survival kit, and a note to self that this, too, shall pass.
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