Password: 'Menopause'

It‘s a new game that I silently play every time I chat or catch up with a friend or new acquaintance - I mention ‘hot flashes‘ or say the word ’Menopause’ casually, in a

by-the by manner and almost every time, the floodgates open.

Like breaking the proverbial seal, once you say the word, Menopause, it is ON. It’s like a secret handshake, you can see the eyes lock or the voice change and you know that you are IN The Club; a Secret Society of women reticent to talk about it unless you bring it up first.

Once it’s out there, the sisterhood is STRONG! By nature, we are compelled to share and the stories bring me to fits of hysterical laughter and tears. Funny things happen when our bodies change and sometimes, in the moment, more often in hindsight, we find ourselves in outright hysterical situations. Laughter may be the thing that gets us through this.

For example, a dear girlfriend and I started having hot flashes around the same time and didn't mention it to each other for awhile- neither of us was sure what was happening. What a blessing to have someone to talk to that is actually experiencing them too!

Note: She's still having normal cycles AND hot flashes (I'd DIE), while I haven't had a cycle in 12 mo and also just started having hot flashes. ~go figure.

So, picture this-

She was working on her website the other day and called customer service for IT support and when the woman asked her, "how are you doing today"?

She responded, "dealing with hot flashes over here".

The woman immediately responded. "Oh my god, girl, let me tell you"… 25 minutes later after covering everything from diet related-symptoms; a few stories later they both hung up without ever getting to the IT question.

Within the span of a week, women have told me harrowing tales of creaky ankles in high heels, rants at fragrance counters insisting that the formula for Chanel Number 5 has suddenly CHANGED- for the worse, their go-to hair color that suddenly turns weird colors and "stolen" cars found by police parked on the next level.

Buckle up, ladies we are in this together!

Do tell: who, what, when, where was the most surprising conversation that you've had thus far?