Life begins at 40, ladies, and not just for us. A new study finds that when female killer whales go into menopause — at around 40 — they help make sure the rest of the whale pod survives. The younger whales, especially the males, follow their lead because they are the wise, respected badasses of the whale pod.
That’s right! In the same way that our grandmothers know all the best recipes and tell all the best stories, the badass matriarchs in the deep blue sea also pass on knowledge of the best eats onto their descendants.
Since we’re on the subject, here are a bunch of other ways matriarchs are badass:
The most obvious benefit of being a matriarch is no more periods! Ugh, no more making sure you’ve got an extra tampon in your evening bag just in case. No more cramps, no more nausea, and no more fears about wearing white pants. Freedom, baby!
In the years leading up to menopause, it can be rough going…period-wise, so it’s such a relief when those finally go away.
Fewer migraines are something else to look forward to. We ladies get migraines three times as often as men and about 70 percent of those women have hormonally-triggered headaches. Since your estrogen and progesterone levels fall after menopause, your likelihood of getting hormonal headaches goes way down.
Your DGAF goes way down, too! Seriously, the older we get, the more liberated we feel. Don’t have on makeup? Who cares? No one is paying attention to anyone else anyway. Challenges at work? You handle them like the boss you are! Fifty-three-year-old Helena Bonham Carter is dating a guy who’s 32-years-old and couldn’t care less about what people think. Good for her!
You’ve still got ½ your life ahead of you! We used to think of the menopausal years as the last third of your life, but people live longer these days, so really, you’re probably looking at about the same number of years ahead as behind. Now’s the time to change careers or go on the epic vacation you’ve been dreaming of for years. All those things you’ve been putting on hold? It’s time to do them!
You’ve got more time to take care of yourself. A mid-day yoga class is suddenly more feasible for some women in this season. In fact, our largest yoga class at the clinic is full of women who take time during their lunch break for some asanas.
The “be. Yoga Ladies” at my clinic!
Most women also have more money now than when they were younger, so a facial or massage is just a matter of scheduling it into your calendar.
Let me tell you this: The matriarchs I get to see every day are happier, more grounded, and loving life in a way that’s so different than my younger ladies. So get ready to rock the second half of your life, gals. It’s pretty fabulous!
