Chapter Twelve; Solidarity Period

Dear Reader,

One thing I really love about us girls (men you might want to head off and read a Top Gear magazine or something of that ilk for this one) is the unity we have at a certain ‘time of the month’.

Our periods are fucking annoying, let us be honest. Often they’re a blessing, some times a curse but always a pain, not in the arse, in the uterus. There is a special kind of crappiness reserved for the way we women feel once a month.

Do you know what makes me feel a little better about it?...

(Whilst I sit here in my pyjamas, a stabbing pain in my lower stomach as the cramps roll their way around my womanly organs)

…There are 3 billion human beings on this planet who understand exactly how I feel. How often can you say that about something? That there are that many women who understand the feeling of being stabbed, REPEATLY, in the stomach with the worlds largest invisible butchers knife.

Our periods do not define us, they do not make us women, what makes us women is the fact that we can handle the pain. We get up and power through because we’re mother fucking STRONG, awesome women. We endure. The monthly pain, sickness, sleeplessness, lack of energy, aches ARE a big deal, never let anyone tell you it’s not.

Another thing I love is when restaurants/cafes/bars put tampons and pads in their toilets. I went into a bathroom recently when out for lunch in Midhurst and saw a little silk bag hanging on the door with a sign that read “For those ‘caught out’ moments, please take what you need.”

I think what is most wonderful about that is that it doesn’t matter who you are; rich or poor, every woman, at some point in their lives will be in this situation and the happiness you would feel looking up and seeing that sign is unanimous. That is SOLIDARITY. Women looking out for women for something that 4 billion of us live with every month. The Period Sisterhood, and I think that if there’s anything that we can all come together over, it’s our monthly vistor.

We are united by a natural occurrence and I think that bond is worth noting. I guarantee that if you were to shout out “Does anyone have a tampon?!” from a toilet stall on a night out, someone would answer. Because we all understand, we empathise and we want to help a sister out.

So stay strong my Period Sisterhood, may your cramps be sparse and your hot water bottle comforting. Good luck…

S.P.