Hormone-induced humility

Have you ever noticed that if you make a resolution, especially publically (like on a blog let’s say) that you are extraordinarily tested? My husband was probably wondering what happened to that nice woman who wrote that last blog promising to work on being peaceful and joyful. I can tell you exactly what happened to her in one scary but short word:

PMS.

(Okay technically it’s not a word, but an acronym...work with me)

Now some women seem to resist the notion that hormones affect them much at all. They are either:

a) very lucky

or

b) not very self-aware

I however am:

c) none of the above

I am generally speaking a fairly even-keeled rational adult. I’m not especially prone to tears or yelling. However throw a few hormones (or lack thereof) into the mix and I can turn into momzilla one second and a weeping slobbering mess the next.

Apparently, during the second half of a woman’s cycle there is an ample supply of progesterone, which is sometimes called “the happy hormone”. Happy indeed. It’s like a drug. Well, in my case, it actually was a drug at times. I’ve been on progesterone shots or cream for various reasons at different times, and I can testify that this hormone really does help you feel happy.

The problem is that as your cycle comes to an end, so does the supply of happiness, I mean, progesterone. Add to this a tired baby, a potty training two-year old, and a trip to the pharmacy and you have the perfect storm. After waiting in line at the pharmacy for 10 minutes, it's finally time for us to check out, and my two year old starts yelling, "I have to go poopy." This was his second attempt at the pharmacy alone and by this point I'm mumbling under gritted teeth, "even Mother Teresa herself would be frustrated!"

Enter humility lesson number one: I was not exactly an example of peace and joy the past few days. I’m sure glad I told the world I was working on that.

Lesson number two: don’t announce how you intend to eat healthy and moderately the day that your kids are literally bringing home buckets (and buckets, and buckets, and buckets) of candy. Yes my husband even had the baby trick-or-treating so that we could have some candy. Great. Thank you, honey.

From now on my public resolutions will involve things like… I hope to live a life of ease and luxury. I hope to pursue comfort and pleasure. J

Even though it is easy to give up on making changes and resolutions, I find encouragement in one of my favorite books, “Searching for and Maintaining Peace” by Father Jacques Philippe. He says,

“The first goal of spiritual combat, that toward which our efforts must above all else be directed, is not always to obtain a victory (over our temptations, our weaknesses, etc.) rather it is to learn to maintain peace of heart under all circumstances, even in the case of defeat.”

So I guess I’m back where I started, trying to maintain a spirit of peace… PMS and all. Blessed Mother Teresa, pray for me!