The book Are You There, God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume, who recently celebrated her 77th birthday, is the reason behind my first “sex” talk with my mother.
I don’t remember how old I was, maybe eight or nine when I read the book, but I do remember thinking that I was pretty savvy for knowing what a bra was. I guess that sounds fairly innocent now. Back then elementary school kids weren’t snapchatting pics of their privates. Anyway, I was proud of myself for understanding most of the material.
There was one thing about the book that I just didn’t get. What was this period thing they kept talking about? Why was Margaret so into punctuation? I needed answers.
Without our good friend Google to turn to, I did what most kids did back then. I asked my mom. I had no idea that what would ensue would end up being one of my greatest childhood memories.
I approached my mom nervously, unsure if this was an appropriate question to ask, and worried about what the answer might be. I asked her what a period was, expecting a simple answer.
My mom told me that “period” was another word for menstruation, and explained to me what that meant. I thought that was the end of it.
And then she busted out the encyclopedia.
I guess, I should have seen that coming. You ask a nurse a medical-related question, you are going to see some diagrams.
My mom went on to show me exactly how the female reproductive system works. I learned enough about ovaries and Fallopian tubes to render me a fourth-grade expert. It would be a few more years until I would get my period, but when I did, I knew what it was, and was mentally and emotionally ready for it.
Credit: bionicteaching.
I look back on that story and laugh at its inherent awkwardness. Yet, I am also thankful to have a mother who isn’t afraid to answer those sort of questions.
I think about those young girls, who, even today, are taught that there periods are shameful, or worse, not taught anything at all. Perhaps if they had access to a Judy Blume book and a guardian who took the time to help them understand what they were going through, growing up would be a lot easier for them.
As a mother now, whose body went through a lot of changes in the process of carrying and birthing my son, I am still grateful to have a mom who prepared me for all that would entail. Without her, I’m not sure if I would have known how much pain you are in after birth. I would not have known how to deal with engorgement and the many other challenges of nursing.
If I have a daughter, I hope she feels comfortable asking me the tough questions. And I hope I am brave enough to answer.
Gail Hoffer-Loibl
Maybeillshowertoday.com
The musings of one dirty mama