PERIODS – STILL A TABOO?

Periods- still a taboo!? I’ll teach my daughter that it’s completely alright and never to feel shy about it.

It’s definitely not uncommon for all of us (girls and women) to have grown up hearing that we must not visit the temples or attend prayers during those five days. Eyes stare at us when we ask for a sanitary pad at a medical store/shopping. The society and most of the people in our own family and neighborhood will make us feel ashamed of something that’s very natural, as natural as our existence.

I fail to understand why this is such a taboo in our culture. We have heard our mothers and grandmothers live with this thought. But today, I pledge that I will not let my daughter grow with this old school of thought. I will teach her that it’s very normal and absolutely okay to bleed. There’s nothing abnormal or unnatural about it. And yes, many may also tell her various rules (self proclaimed and self made) but she will listen to her heart and do as she feels.

What’s wrong in praying or visiting  a temple? God never made these rules. Why would somebody stare at you when you buy a sanitary pad? I shall teach her that it’s OK to ask and ask with courage for she isn’t making a mistake or committing any crime to feel guilty about or feel shy. I believe it’s all the more important to bring her up with these thoughts otherwise people around will make her feel bad about something that she should be proud of. They will make her feel low and disgraceful even as she discusses or speaks about it openly, they might also laugh at her, they will also complain about her mood swings  but it’s my responsibility to make her understand that it’s completely OK.

Some people or should I say most of them who might belittle her will not even know the pain of it but that mustn’t stop her from handling it all with grace. They might also laugh at her and see her with a different look with the red blotch; I hate to say this but that’s the reality –  we live in a society where it’s completely normal for men to pee in public but it’s not acceptable to see a woman/girl mistakenly with a red stain (I don’t know what makes it so funny or questionable to them).

There’s nothing wrong if she bleeds for that’s the reason she’s able to give birth. She should all the more feel proud of the fact that she does. She must be aware of all this. Yes! We bleed and bare the pain. We bleed glitters. We bleed to keep the universe going. We bleed to create a new life. Never be ashamed of bleeding dark red blood. But! be proud that you bleed and that you can be yourself every month for 5 days. Do not whisper when you utter the word “PERIODS”. Always remember not to feel shy, embarrassed, disgraceful about it ever.

Feel proud of those five days!

Vedika Saxena is a dreamer, a believer, a learner a, go-getter and most of all a mother who enjoys motherhood thoroughly. From being a technocrat, a soft skills trainer, a ramp model, an enthusiast to now an award winning blogger cum writer.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Wonder Women World.