Living in a society that hushes before gushing about the monthly melodies in a female’s life, I was raised with an entirely different perspective towards it, mostly because my father is a Doctor. At home, the code name for periods was, *wait for the drumroll*, PERIODS!! I was taught not to be shy about it, even before I had it.

I still remember the day this lifetime of inconvenience decided to grace my life with its presence for the first time. I never thought I’ll freak out because I was well aware with the theory of it, but I did. It was right before heading out for my piano class that I jumped out of the bathroom, screaming. 

My mom understood immediately, but my brother who was packing his violin, was completely confused. Sadly, my mom had to tell my brother that I had pooped my pants, because he was too little to understand. Well, who told me to scream and create drama?! I had to live with that explanation. He was educated about this a year or two later.

The thing is, I couldn’t run to mom that day because she was busy getting my brother ready to go for violin class. So the person I ran to was my dad. Yes, I ran to him crying, hugged him and told what happened. It never occurred to me till I was more grown up that this was not the way it is in many homes and that it is a taboo in our society.

Owing to the way I was raised, I still have no qualms in admitting to a fellow male colleague or friend, that I can’t go somewhere as planned because I’m having the cramps. They often look taken aback at my bluntness. 

I am not ashamed of it. None of us has to be. My brother teases me and tells me not to touch him because i’m “impure”. That very moment I jump onto him to give him the hug of his life. 

It is a necessity for us, a part of womanhood. I won’t glorify it. I prefer calling a spade, a spade. For me, it’s a monthly bodily function that is necessary for our well-being. 

So it’s high time people did away with the hype and taboo surrounding it. It’s only a normal occurrence that a woman can do absolutely nothing about, Period (pun intended)

Photo courtesy : Pinterest