How can the midlife transition act as a precursor for social change?

For many of us, it is not the hormonal or physical transitions of menopause so much as the social transitions associated with midlife that are the tipping point for emotional or lifestyle changes. For some women, menopause and midlife are a time of transition toward a new phase in life or a trigger for adopting a new life philosophy. Some of us go back to school, while others decide to use their life experiences and increased confidence to make changes in their community. This may also be a time in which women develop a strong sense of identification with their mothers. For some women it may be a time of sadness in which they grieve for opportunities they missed earlier in life—for children they did not bear or raise, or other paths they did not take. For many others, menopause is simply a nonevent.