SWEET REVENGE

For many women, much of our adult life is spent explaining, being accused of, or trying to control intermittent irrational behaviors. Most men will never understand.....they can't. Some men use it as an excuse to avoid taking responsibility for making their significant other upset, couldn't possibly be their fault. If he's stupid enough, he will even say something out loud about "her time of month". Some women use it as an excuse to behave very badly, "I can't help it, I'm hormonal!"
Thankfully, I learned to pay attention to my husband's body language, and tried very hard to not punish more harshly than the crime called for. I still have not made him understand that he was still committing crimes, I just kept my mouth shut the rest of the time. Hormones just lubricated the sharp edges of my tongue at the same time they made infractions intolerable that before had not been mentioned. He's a good one, he knew when to back off, he knew not to say anything most of the time. And,he tolerated me without holding it against me, or using it against me at some later date. I might keep him.
There are some men who have, and are finding out what it is like. Sadly, by the time they learn,it is too late to help their spouses during their suffering.
My Father went through it, my Uncle went through it, and I have a cousin who is going through it right now. And while I empathize and sympathize with his fears and suffering, I am getting a perverse pleasure out of his descriptions of his hormonal fluctuations. He now knows hot flashes,emotional lability in the form of tears and/or anger, and the feeling of loss of control that comes with all of that. He knows he isn't crazy, but there are also times he's not so sure, and he isn't enjoying it any more than we did, or do. For some men, the treatment is worse than the cure. I don't know if this is true in his case, I am not privy to his medical record. I am referring to treatment for prostate cancer, which is treated in some cases, and in part, with hormones. Hormones......make us crazy when we are teenagers, make us crazy once a month, make us crazy in our mid/old age, just when things should be getting easier. After all, don't we have most of it figured out by then? (yeah....right) "They" say, if a man lives long enough, he will get prostate cancer. The wonders of modern medicine are dooming a lot of men to that diagnosis, if this is true. Anyway, I hope my cousin is a smart enough man to have already apologized for ANY time he thought she was being a witch just for the fun of it. Whether he voiced it out loud or not. Because for him, it's not too late. It may be closing the barn door after the cows are out, but it is better than nothing. And if SHE is smart, better than nothing will be good enough.