We all have menopausal meltdowns. Major Menopausal Meltdowns. But that doesn’t make us permanent angry withered up old hags with nothing positive to give, despite Disney’s depiction of menopausal aged women as incurable villainesses. Bring back Glinda the Good Witch because a menopausal witch shouldn’t be an evil witch.
DISNEY’S ANGRY MENOPAUSAL ARCHETYPES
My daughter confirmed my Disney suspicions. She pointed out that with the exception of Gramma Tala and the Fairy Godmother, evil villainesses prevail. They rue the day in Disney’s portrayal of powerful ageing women.
For further clarificaiton, Professor Carol-Ann Benn from Wits University provides apt breakdowns of these villainesses in her article about medical menopause. But let’s move on from these negative archetypes.
BRING BACK GLINDA
How ‘bout we forget about Cruela, Ursula, Mother Gothel, Madame Medusa and all the other evil villainesses portrayed as angry menopausal or postmenopausal archetypes? Let’s bring back Glinda the Good Witch.
Yes, we are allowed to have Medusa days; yes, we are allowed to feel consumed with rage; yes, we are allowed to scream with indignation from the depths of our souls. But ultimately after we shake it off and regroup, staying full of rage only harms us. Anger impedes not only our own ability to manage menopause but also our ability to share the wisdom gained from our life’s victories and heartbreaks with other women.
INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN ROCKIN’ THEIR POST-MENOPAUSAL TIARA
I attended a local school trivia night fundraiser over the weekend. There was a radiant woman in her sixties quietly commanding the room. She was wearing a postmenopausal tiara~ you know the one I mean: anything beautifully white.
Once I got over my momentary stab of envy that rares up for a nanosecond whenever I see a woman over 50 rocking a white dress or white jeans, I thought, ‘Damn, she’s owning that white dress and what’s in it!” She waltzed that dress and her beautiful smile around the room at every intermission chatting genuinely with the crowd and leaving a trail of joy. She was grounded and genuine, completely unaware that her manner left the losing table feeling like winners.
Her behaviour got me thinking about Glinda the Good Witch. Despite Glinda’s dress being pink in The Wizard of Oz movie, L. Frank Baum’s original vision in the book poised Glinda in a pure white dress, just like my heroine of the fund raising night.
THE MOST POWERFUL SORCERESS
Glinda was the most powerful sorceress in all of Oz who ruled with a smile very similar to New Zealand’s recently re-elected Prime Minister‘s. So, yes, embrace the menopausal meltdown days but equally rediscover your own inner good witch and find a way to smile. Your inner good witch is still there, even on the worst of the worst of your menopausal days.
As a result of her sorcery, Glinda could summon the powers of all the good fairies. On a bad day, utilise the powers of the good fairies to help you find your way back to your happy place.
For example, make a list of your good fairies in the form of the things that make you happy. And whatever they are, do them. In spades. While you’re doing them steal a little bit of fairy dust from each good moment and put it in your pocket for a rainy day.
BE GLINDA THE GOOD WITCH
If you haven’t had the pleasure of reaching that post-menopausal transition into the world of white dresses & white jeans yet, its ok. You’ve got this. You can be Glinda the Good Witch working the room with your own version of happy no matter what colour your dress or age.
It sure beats the fate of Snow White’s Queen Grimalde’s or vicious Queen Narissa’s fate anyday.
In short, embrace the villainesses when they overcome you in a fit of brain fog or a drowning hotflush. But ensure you kindly show them the exit door when sanity returns.
BYE BYE DISNEY
Bye Bye Disney; hello Oz! Because we’ve always had the power.
