Stop Suffering in Silence. Start Using The Poop Emoji!

Stop suffering in silence! Start using the poop emoji!

Can I talk to you? Can you and I sit down with our favorite over-priced coffee and have a good girl talk?

Over the past few weeks, I have been dealing with something. I have kept it to myself, only shared vague details with a select few people. You know, people like my husband and my mom. They were both understanding, but I still felt isolated and alone.

I decided to stop suffering in silence!

So I shared my story with a couple of friends because some times things hurt less when we tell people about them. The fears we hold inside become less scary when we put words to them.
The worries we carry inside take up less space when we look them square in the eyes and say “you do not define me. I am stronger than you.”

Guess what I learned from spilling the beans… I am not alone! Everyone I spoke to said, “ME TOO!”

So, sisters, I am coming to you today to normalize some of the many things we as women keep inside. We think we are the only ones dealing with these issues. We believe that no one else is thinking the thoughts, feeling the feelings or fighting the fights… I am breaking down those barriers.

[bctt tweet=”Stop suffering in silence! #Share your story today – chances are you will get the response I did! #momlife” username=”MamaintheNow”]

We spent a week celebrating World Breastfeeding Week to normalize breastfeeding. I love this week. I am all for breastfeeding and for making it less of a big deal. Breastfeeding should just be a “non-event” regardless of when and where it takes place.

Do you know what else is part of life and nothing to be ashamed of?!

Hemorrhoids, painful periods, boob sweat, thighs chafing, female hair loss, incontinence, abnormal pap smears, mammograms, chin hair, constipation, families with pinworms, lice infestations, gray hair, skin tags, foot fungus, UTIs, yeast infections, belly flab, jiggly arms, flat butts, sagging skin, low libido, droopy boobs, hernias, prolapse, early menopause and inlaws.… all these things and so many more…

We suffer in silence, thinking we are the only ones affected. We hesitate to seek medical help because we are embarrassed. We don’t get the emotional support we need, because remember – we are the ONLY ones dealing with these issues.

But guess what… You are not alone!

Chances are, the mother in front of you at the grocery store has hemorrhoids the size of a chicken egg, the cashier pees her pants when she sneezes and the woman behind you has a rash on her thighs where they rub together.

We all age. It is inevitable. We can slather on cremes, subject ourselves to laser treatments and surgeries, but eventually, aging will rear its head. Inside our bodies digestion slows down, hormone levels drop, gravity takes over… shit happens to us as we get older – it happens to ALL of us.

Do you know what else we have in common?

I bet you hide your panties and bras UNDER your pile of clothes when you have to get undressed at the doctor’s office. Am I right?

When you are asked to drape the postage stamp piece of paper across your bare lap, you desperately tug at the corners to see if it will at least cover your naked butt crack – so you are not mooning the doctor as he walks into the room.

We might not talk about our struggles, but they are real – and they are something we have in common.

Women, I urge you to stop suffering in silence.

Let down your defenses and don’t allow your pride to get in the way. We are all dealing with “stuff” – and even “minor” issues (meaning not life-threatening) can be painful, scary and emotionally draining.

Let’s talk about our “issues”, laugh, cry and share experiences. Problems seem less problematic when we are in it together.

Next time you have excessive gas or your bowels have come to a complete standstill – reach out. Put that adorable poop emoji to good use and share your woes with a friend… because chances are she’s also walking the fine line of straining just enough without causing her hemorrhoids to act up!