I’ve decided living through a summer in Phoenix is like going through menopause. You leave your air conditioned house, get into the intense heat of your car and you sweat until the air kicks in, then, “Ahhh!”

You get to the restaurant and the blast of cool air hits you as you settle into lunch and you’re glad you brought your sweater. Back out into the hot car you welcome the sauna feel this time until the air kicks in. You stop at the grocery store to another blast of cold that chills you to the bone. You walk fast in the store to keep the cold at bay and then you welcome the heat of the car once again.

And so it goes all summer long.

With menopause you wake up sweating, throw off the covers to the cool air and, “Ahhh!” Then just when you begin to fall asleep you are overcome by a freezing chill. You grab the fluffy covers, pull them over you and settle into the cozy warmth until the next night sweat hits.

I know, “This too shall pass.” The Phoenix summer eventually leaves and is replaced with the most beautiful winter in the country and I hear the hot flashes eventually leave also and you are filled with a wisdom uncommon in younger women. (Wow, how cool would that be??)

I’m not complaining because I love Phoenix so much. But, this is my second summer back and I’m just pointing out that sometimes we have to go through hell to get to heaven.

I invite you to reflect on times in the past when you have had big challenges and then things turned out even better than you anticipated.

Please share your thoughts below!