Instead of comparing life to a hill that you struggle to climb, linger a millisecond at the top and then free-fall to the bottom, let’s compare it to something else. How about comparing it to Isla Sorna with the meanest dinosaurs on the exterior of the island and the peaceful giants in the center? No? Then you’ll have to create your own metaphor. At any rate, pop culture would like you to believe that the post-child-bearing years are when women are insane and in need of constant air conditioning. I think it would be more accurate to call it a second adolescence. As a teenager, your hormones are out of control. You have somewhat calm during your child-bearing years. The chaos is external to your body instead of internal. Women who disliked pregnancy will disagree with me on this point. When you are finished reproducing, your body decides to start powering the systems down. Done making babies? Begin dying. The process feels a lot like adolescence, when the systems were booted up. Hormonal chaos. The difference is that women harness the chaos of their second adolescence. As a teenager, you try out vegetarianism and lead protests again school dress codes. As an adult, you become a foodie and have meetings with your congress rep. As a teen, you cry over teddy bears. As an adult, you cry over commercials. Well, maybe that one is still a little insane, but that’s okay. Besides, the second adolescence comes without social guilt attached to your libido.