April 15th, 2025
This morning, I awoke to find my cat, Miss SophieBelle, reclining atop the windowsill, bathed in a shaft of sunlight that illuminated her soft fur like a halo. She, of course, appeared utterly unbothered by the restless night I endured, my sleep stolen by sudden waves of heat and the insistent ticking of my overactive mind. As I sipped my tea, I read the news of an earthquake in San Diego, a 5.2 magnitude that set my heart racing with worry, for my daughter lives there.
The idea of the very ground betraying its constancy is unnerving, and I reflected on how often I feel similarly unmoored these days. Menopause has a way of making one question even the most dependable things—the sharpness of memory, the steadiness of mood, the likelihood of making it through the night without flinging off the bedcovers in a fit of heat.
My daughter replied quickly to my inquiries, her message calm and reassuring. She described the experience as startling but brief, with no harm done to herself or her home. I marveled at her resilience and wondered if I had been so composed at her age. Meanwhile, Miss SophieBelle stretched languidly, her elegance undisturbed by either natural disasters or her mistress’s emotional weather.
To you, dear reader, I say this: life will shake us, whether through earthquakes or the changes of time. But there is grace to be found in every upheaval—a calm message from a loved one, the serenity of a beloved pet, or the simple comfort of a steaming cup of tea. Let us meet each tremor with humor and fortitude, trusting that the ground beneath us, like our spirits, will eventually settle once more.
Menna Poss
Being the daily life and journal of one Menna Poss — a single lady of four and fifty, beset by heat, hilarity, and reflection.
AI Art by M.A. Schmid, created with Midjourney.
