The first time I thought I started my period, I was eight. I had been racing my friend on my bright pink Huffy, when she suddenly stopped in front of me and my vagina made hard contact with the metal bar that separates the pedals.
It was painful, but I hadn’t thought anything of it. If you’ve ever been kicked in the vagina you can understand the dull pain it emits, but it’s not exactly lasting.
Later that day I had discovered blood in my panties.
My best friend had just started her period, and I burst into the type of crocodile tears that only an 8-year old can manifest. What did I know about becoming a woman???
I stuffed my panties with toilet paper, imitating the pads that I had seen my mother put on herself. It was bulgy enough for my mother to notice, and when she questioned me about it, she assured me that I had just broken my hymen (whatever THAT meant) and everything was OK.
I later learned that had it been the Middle Ages I would have been stoned to death or drowned for being a promiscuous heathen, but luckily this was the 90’s and it was nothing to worry about.
Flash forward about 3 years, to when I actually started my period.
To be honest, it was rather uneventful. I had been learning about it in those ridiculous “tea parties” that they make you attend in elementary school, and was actually looking forward to it, since all my older friends had already began “womanhood.”
Again, I had noticed blood in my panties, but this time practically jumped for joy and ran to tell all my neighborhood friends the good news. Upon retrospect, I understand why I received a handful of mixed reactions, but at the time I was confused about the hush-hush of it all.
I mean, I figured it happened to at least half the population, why was it weird? It was actually then that I decided that when I had a daughter, I would throw her a period party, including red velvet cake and fruit punch…
I recently told this to a man sitting next to me on the bus, and he gave me one of those sideways glances that indicated he thought I had a few screws loose, but I didn’t mind. In my opinion it’s human, it’s beautiful, and it’s woman.
I appreciate it 🙂 . I remember when i had my first periods it was kinda horror movie for me. I was screaming hard. I thought i’m going to die. But my mom made me feel different of that. She said now i’m complete, the woman! It was strange, cuz i really felt special after that…. And yeah i’m too gonna throw a period party for my daughter. We are on same wavelength mate!
What a wonderful idea Aanya! I’m so glad that you plan to give your daughter a period party. I wish I had one when I came of age. I wish I had been more educated about what it was like to be a woman. But it’s not too late. I’m going to throw a belated period party for myself 🙂
I appreciate this idea! 🙂 being a girl, i can understand. First period was like horror movie for me. But later on it made me feel complete, the woman… I’d too give my daughter a period party… We are on same wavelength mate!! 🙂
I started menstruating it was like I couldn’t control myself! I would cry at the smallest thing and scream at the top of my lungs if somebody upset me.
PMS
Thank you for sharing your experience Relly. Out of curiosity, did you know what was going on then?
Wow, I really like you. As a girl, I always has the memory that something was not processed right, which made me feel like hiding from something that was from the past. As time passing by, I have accept myself as something that is not complete or not fully recognized. A lot of parts of me has to be reviewed from the root.
I agree with you completely Jorie. In some ways, our past pains were blessings in disguise because they motivated us to re-piece together the broken bones and helped us get to the core of our being.
Lovely and heartfelt, writing about a subject most don’t even discuss. Great job, Jing. Wish my oldest daughter would have read this before she experienced her 1st period.
Thank you Andre. I too wished that I had more knowledge about this subject when I first experienced my period, and many years after that. That’s why I want to create a space where women can discuss this subject more openly.