Dolores dice...Try a Little Tenderness

Dear Dolores:

I think my mom is beginning to go through menopause, and her wild mood swings are driving me crazy. She doesn’t want to talk about it and only takes cocimientos de yerba Buena. What can I do?

—Sonia in L.A.

Dear Sonia:

I hear you. When my mother went through her change of life, my two sisters and I didn’t know what was happening to her. At first we thought she’d been possessed by the devil. Later we arrived at the conclusion that menopause was God’s way for her to exact revenge for having to go through puberty with us three times in a row. Now we wish we had been better informed about menopause and its effects—which can be quite severe. Then we could have been less smart-alecky and more supportive during what had to be a seriously difficult time for her. So first, educate yourself about menopause. Do a google search and you’ll find tons of information. It will come in handy now and in the future, since you’ll go through it yourself one day. Help Mami understand to her body and take her to a doctor so she can receive appropriate treatment.

—Try a Little Tenderness, D