"Does the word menopause freak you out?" asks Naomi Watts in her latest Instagram post. After a moment of self-reflection, my immediate answer was a solid yes. But then, I thought about why something so natural is so often spoken and thought about negatively. According to Watts, it's because society made it that way.
"When I was in my late 30s, I was finally ready to start thinking about creating a family. Then the M word swiftly blew my doors down, it felt like a head-on collision with a Mack truck," she continues in her caption. "How could I figure this out when no one was talking? I was earlier to it than my peers. My mentors and mum didn't seem up for discussing it, I didn’t know how to ask for help and they didn’t know how to provide….even doctors had little to say. It’s oddly like an unwritten code of silence: women should suck it up and cope, because that’s how generations passed have done it."
The ONDA Beauty founder and Lakewood star adds that more representation is needed for women in this life phase. "We’ve been under-served in media, stories and marketing far too long. Particularly since more than one billion people worldwide will be menopausal by 2025…When you spotlight uncomfortable conversations, they get easier. Progress is made. Why has this particular one taken so long?"
Along these same lines, Watts explains her point of view on aging: "Getting older is a privilege and a time for us to feel proud of our cumulative experiences—to feel empowered, unapologetically so. I think being part of a change-maker generation is exciting. No more walking through this alone."
Finally, the 53-year-old finishes her post with a big announcement, one that we've been looking forward to for quite some time. "I’m working on something I feel super proud of. I hope you follow along as I share more in the coming weeks."
Stay tuned to NewBeauty to get more information Watt's upcoming announcement.
