Here's the thing. Bodies are weird and people just don't talk about it like they should.
I said it.
We can feel so alone and embarrassed about what our bodies do... let's put away the shame.
At the shoppe, we have these conversations all about body sweat, discharge, shaving (or not shaving), periods, menopause, and teenagers - being them and raising them - and all kinds of other 'taboo' subjects.
In these moments of whispered confidences or uproarious self depreciation on the realities of being a woman, the truth is that we can feel so alone and embarrassed about what our bodies do.
Let's put away that shame - expose the topics that feel 'wrong' to talk about, and focus on all that our beautiful bodies are & what they can do for us!
Who can you ask at different stages of life about your nipple hair or menopause or new mom B.O.? We gathered up 7 lovely ladies of all ages for our inaugural "Stuff Your Momma Never Told You Or You Were Too Embarrassed To Ask" event, and this is what I learned:
01. Menopause.
"Menopause is like puberty all over again... but you're old enough to say F*** Y**"
02. Adult Acne.
Adult acne is. unfair. We're supposed to be thirty flirty and thriving but that sucker can come back with a vengeance and try to ruin all your cool girl plans.
03. Sex.
It's normal to [not] feel sexual in the midst of changes like menopause or postpartum...or, a Tuesday. We all have times when we ask ourselves if it make us a bad partner/lover/wife, but it's not our 'fault' and we all experience these fluctuations. So, go ahead and leave the little sack for your menstrual cup out on the counter so you can fall asleep in peace. Speaking of...
04. Periods.
Diva cups are scary big, period panties work, tampons leak... and 1/4 of the ladies in the room swear by not wearing underwear at all! The surprising up-side of ditching your panties? The ladies who quit panties swear they don't get discharge any more.
05. The Talk.
Having the sex talk is always awkward, no matter how it's done, but sisters help.
06. Fake Babies.
Most of us have had to go through the flour sack baby project in high school. Some even had to attach an egg to the four sack! Unanimously, we agreed that that's nothing like having to care for a baby and one woman exclaimed, "I would've baked a cake"!
07. Motherhood.
The feeling of inadequacy as a mother during phases of your child growing up is a shared truth. "There are waves, there are times that are good, and time where you think, 'I should've baked a cake'"
"I should have baked a cake."
08. The Dream.
Are we still living in the 1950s? Young people are still modeled the idea that you go to college, meet your partner, get married, and have kids. But also, perhaps for the first time in women’s history, girls have a certain clarity of vision for what works for them and their own desires for the future and the ability to pursue it.
09. Friends.
Asking a new friend their age is a little bit uncomfortable. "Age is always a conversation when you're considering dating somebody. Like 'how old are you, do you have kids?'. Dates come and go. Friends are forever and we don't ask that basic question".
"Whatever adults do, they're doing it and I'm not" - An Adult.
10. Boobs.
Different sizes, different names... it's always something with boobs, isn't it? From chest puppies to dirty pillows, the underboob sweat is all the same.
So what is the universal truth in this part social experiment - part female bonding experience?
My guess is that no one has all the 'right' answers and that even the cool girls don't know what they're doing. But what we'll continue to do is to make space for the beautiful, messy, butt-kicking act of showing up in your truth.