Periods is a part of us

PERIODS

I remember my first introduction to pads. It was kind of funny, because I thought they were diapers for adults. I found it in my sister’s cupboard, and teased her by telling that I will tell father that she uses diapers. That was when I was five.

When I turned 11, I had a very bad stomach-ache and refused to go to school even when it was the first day after summer vacations and attendance was necessary. My mother did not understand the reason for it, but however let me stay.  Then I had my first periods.

Seeing myself bleeding, I was scared, and my mother was unable to believe that I had started my periods so early. However, she handed me an old cloth and bought a packet of pads for she had already attained menopause.

I wondered for days why it happened. My mother did not talk about it, and my father was not supposed to know about it. It was finally after a month or so, that my sister explained the process to me. And then I realised, wow! My body is so interesting. Biology had never been an interesting subject for me, but periods made it exciting.

Today, I’m a fifteen-year old ninth class student who openly talks about periods with her teachers and friends and whom everybody approaches when they forget a pad. It is like a trend; if you have forgotten a pad, come to me; either I will give you one or ask it from the teachers for you.

Every month, before my periods start, I take a round and say sorry to all my friends for any stupidity I will do in the next five days, for I have terrible mood swings. I, without hesitation ask my teachers, irrespective of the fact whether they are male or female, to go to washroom and change, thanks to my sisters. I even go to temples and in puja rooms to say hello to the gods, except, of course, when I don’t want to.

I go on educating my close male friends about periods so that they understand the pain I and other girls go through, and instead of making fun of us, they help us.

Today, when most of the girls are scared to talk about periods in school, or feel disgusted, I come up and talk about it openly. I don’t feel as if it is some kind of wrong thing. It is a part of your system. Like digestion and respiration. Who I would really like to tell this are the parents who shush their children on the very talk about sex and periods, and by the time they are ready to talk, their children either already know about it, or are unable to understand anything. For example, I found on a website, a boy asking why he hasn’t got his periods while his twin sister has already started. So, parents, please, open up, educate your children; we really need it.

Now, girls in their teens or for that matter who are even older and shush themselves at the topic of periods: there is nothing wrong in bleeding. It happens to every single woman. Instead, enjoy; we’re growing up. And plus, we usually get the special treatment during this time. In India, yes, there is always a hesitation in talking about periods, but that doesn’t make it non-happening. Plus, we pray the bleeding goddess at the Kamakhya temple. It is another topic that girls are not allowed to enter there during this period. God, I guess there needs to be more education.                                                                                                                         

Girls, it will happen, we will have periods, till we achieve menopause.  Enjoy it till it lasts. Don’t make it a taboo. Of course, there will be moments during the period you won’t want to talk about, but don’t make it non-existent, because it is not.

Enjoy it, embrace it. Love it. Because this is one of the things that makes you a woman.