I don't really remember when my moon blood began. When I was in 6th grade all the girls were brought to the gymnasium to watch a movie. Mothers were invited. No boys or men were allowed. It was a cartoon, "tastefully" done by Disney but it wasn't very funny and no one sang songs -- "The Story of Menstruation." We watched dutifully and took home booklets that reiterated the plot, with illustrations straight from the movie. My mother asked if I had any questions. I couldn’t relate enough to think of any. I felt I was not to mention this whole thing to my friends who were boys. This was my initiation into womanhood. When I recently found and watched a copy of the film on “YouTube” I saw that it was factually correct and complete – but empty of emotion, experience, and meaning. Very empty.
In 7th grade, I decided I had to start acting like a girl instead of a tomboy. My next menstrual remembrance was as a 10th grader who had a gymnastics meet -- and my period. I locked myself in the bathroom and tried for an hour to get a tampon into my vagina. "Tampax" was the only kind available in those days and my mom used super sized ones after having five kids. Mom offered to help but I was too embarrassed, so embarrassed that I gave up and wore a pad under my leotard, which was humiliating.
Since before she was three years old my daughter noticed when I had my moon blood. She knew early that when she became a woman she would have moon bloods too and that it meant that she could grow a baby in her. One day, she was singing one of her hundreds of variations of "Mary has a little lamb.." It was "Mary has her moon blood." At age 7 1/2 she said," Some women call their moon blood their period, so it doesn't sound so gross." When she began her periods I wanted to give a blessing party-- "but, Mom~" and it was too wierd and embarassing for her-- so I did a simple ceremony, giving her a rose, a foot massage, and a little gift.
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