Jumping Back Into Me: Skydiving at 43 to Face Fear, PeriMenopause & Motherhood

  •   Sat, May 17 2025
  •   By Ashuntha Monteiro

May 17, 2025

I turned 43 this year — and somewhere in between diaper changes, school drop-offs, and work deadlines, I realized something: I had lost myself.

I used to be bold. The kind of woman who walked into a room with confidence. I was a leader, a speaker, someone who lifted other women up when life knocked them down. I used to tell stories about strength, independence, and bouncing back from life’s hardest moments. I believed every word of it.

But then… life happened.

I became a mother. And while my child is my absolute everything, slowly, without even realizing it, I started to disappear. First, it was the heels and the red lipstick. Then, I stopped writing in my journal. My days became a blur of laundry, school runs, tantrums, and cleaning up snack crumbs. And somewhere in all that noise, I forgot who I was.

Then came the fog — not just tiredness, but that thick, heavy kind of mental fog no one really talks about. I felt slower, smaller, unsure of myself. I didn’t feel like “me” anymore.

At first, I thought I was just burned out. Maybe I needed a break. But deep down, I knew something deeper was happening. My body was changing. My emotions were up and down. I started wondering: Is this what perimenopause feels like? Or is this just what happens when you carry so much for so long?

Whatever it was, I knew I couldn’t let it win. I didn’t want to stay stuck in that fog any longer.

So, I decided to do something wild for my 43rd birthday: I jumped out of a plane.

Yep. I went skydiving.

Not because I love danger. Not because I’m a thrill-seeker. But because I was sick of fear running the show. Fear was getting too loud — whispering that I was too old, too tired, too far gone. And I was done listening.

Why Skydiving?

Because I needed to feel alive again.

Because I needed to remember who I was before I became a mom.

Because I wanted my child to see that moms can still be brave.

Because fear had been stealing my joy — and I wanted it back.

The night before the jump, I was so nervous I barely slept. That little voice in my head kept chirping: What if something goes wrong? You’re not young anymore. You’re not in shape. You’re not that woman anymore.

But the next morning, as I stood at the edge of the plane, heart pounding and wind blasting my face, I told that voice to be quiet.

And then... I jumped.

The Freefall

There’s really no way to describe what it feels like to fall through the sky unless you’ve done it. It’s a mix of fear, excitement, freedom — like everything that had been weighing me down just slipped away for a few seconds.

All the guilt, the brain fog, the self-doubt, the constant worry — it disappeared. It didn’t matter what I used to look like, how many nights I’d cried from exhaustion, or how long it had been since I felt like myself.

At that moment, I was free.

When the parachute opened, I laughed and cried at the same time. I looked out at the sky, wide and open, and I felt like I had come home — not to a place, but to myself.

This Was More Than a Birthday Present

That jump wasn’t just a fun adventure. It was me taking my power back.

I may be 43. My body is changing. My mind doesn’t always feel sharp. I’m juggling motherhood, work, aging — all of it. But I’m not done. I’m not invisible. I’m not broken.

I’m a new version of me — deeper, wiser, stronger.

This year, I didn’t want cake and candles. I wanted courage. And I found it.

For Every Woman Who Feels Lost

If you’re reading this while your kid is crying, or your inbox is overflowing, or you’re staring at yourself in the mirror wondering who you even are anymore — this is for you.

You’re not alone.

You’re not failing.

You’re just in a season — maybe a hard one, maybe a quiet one, maybe a confusing one — but it won’t last forever.

There is still fire in you.

You don’t need to be the woman you were at 25. Maybe that version of you needed to go so this newer, braver one could take her place. You are still fierce. Still powerful. Still worthy of being seen.

And maybe you don’t need to jump out of a plane to find yourself again. Maybe your moment is something else: taking a solo trip, writing that book, going back to school, leaving a job, starting that side hustle, saying yes to something you’ve always wanted — or no to something that’s been draining you.

Whatever it is, let it scare you just enough to wake you up.

Because fear is part of the journey — but it doesn’t get to be in charge anymore.

What Comes Next?

Honestly? I’m still figuring that out. I’m still learning how to balance hormones, motherhood, healing, and everything else life throws at me.

But one thing I do know: I’ve started my comeback.

And I’m not coming back alone — I’m bringing other women with me.

So here’s to 43.

Here’s to being scared — and doing it anyway.

Here’s to skydiving, or whatever your version of that is.

Here’s to finding yourself again, one brave moment at a time.

Because you’re not gone. You’re just waiting for the sky to call your name.

And when you’re ready?

Jump! 



Watch video:

 

 

 

 
By Ashuntha Monteiro
Ashuntha is a Dubai-based writer, mother, and former academician with roots in the lush village of Gantalkatte, India. Raised among forests, farms, and family chaos, she blends humor and heartfelt storytelling to reflect on life, womanhood, and identity. Encouraged by her father to pursue higher education in London, she defied expectations and now inspires others to do the same. A passionate traveler and public speaker, Ashuntha lives with her witty husband and curious son. Through her writing, she empowers women to embrace change, face fears, and find joy and strength in every stage of life, from parenting to menopause. To know more about her, please visit her website: www.ashmonteiro.com.
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Leave a Comment

Title: Jumping Back Into Me: Skydiving at 43 to Face Fear, PeriMenopause & Motherhood



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.