Am I on my period?
February 14, 2018: It's 3am. I just woke up from a deep sleep. Did I have a bad dream? Nope. Worse. I pull off my covers and I look down to see a huge blood stain on my pajama bottoms. Yikes! I get so mad at myself because I forgot to wear an overnight pad. I just wore a regular pad. I was even prepared this month! I had the pads ready to go at home! I move over a bit and alas, I stained the sheets too! I am mortified and I am embarrassed!!!
But, I am extremely lucky and blessed. I quickly change into a clean pair of underwear and a clean pair of pajama bottoms and I quickly change my pad (an overnight one this time!!!). I am able to change and wash everything that got stained without anyone even noticing. I used to take these things for granted. I used to think it was such a hassle and an inconvenience, but what I just went through was a luxury. Wearing a pad is a luxury (especially an overnight one with wings!). Having clean pairs of underwear and clothes and pajamas is a luxury. Having a washing machine and a dryer is a luxury. Many women around the world simply do not have any of these luxuries, but I'll expand on this a little later.
So let's go back to the original question. . .
Am I on my period?
Why do you ask? Is it because I "snapped" at you earlier? Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Maybe you just said something that was very uncalled for which caused me to stand up for myself and because I did, you assume I am on my period and shut down the entire conversation. Ouch.
Thank you for your concern though. I am okay. I have some Midol for my headaches and cramps. I also have my pack of Always pads with me. Always pads with wings that is. Don't forget the wings!
For my male counterparts that are unaware of what I am referring to, please allow me to explain. Pads have come a long way nowadays. The new Always Infiniti series of pads has a super absorbent core to ensure maximum leakage prevention. The wings of a pad are these two side extensions that wrap around our underwear to prevent leakage and stains. I know right?! Genius! I'm so happy I was born in the age of advanced padding infrastructure!
You see, I'm in my 30's and I've had my period for about two decades now. But I STILL get paranoid every time I feel a spurt of blood involuntarily leave my body. Even though I'm wearing the best and most expensive pads with the most absorbent core on the market, I still double check to make sure I'm not walking around with a mark of blood on my butt. Just typing this out is embarrassing. Can you imagine how us womenfolk feel when it actually happens? Especially us younger ones in high school. OMG!!!
What would we do without pads and tampons (and Midol)? Walk around with blood stained clothes all day? Stay locked up in a room by ourselves until it was over? Well, that is exactly what women did back in the day prior to these modern inventions. So when all of the worlds religions said that we were "dirty and impure" I can see why. Our clothes were indeed very dirty. But WE were not dirty and impure. We still are not dirty and impure.
Please see this though provoking article on religion and menstruation, "For evidence that most major world religions were invented by men for men, look no further than how they approach menstruation."
To summarize the above referenced article, the majority of the worlds religions denounce a female on her period in some way, form, or fashion. We cannot touch or be touched. We cannot enter holy places of worship. We have to go through ritual baths. (Although, I'm not sure how these differ from regular baths.) We are considered "unclean" "impure" and "dirty". Alas!
Then came along Guru Nanak. Waho Waho Guru Nanak! The Guru saw our blood stained clothes and denounced the notion and mentality that we were dirty and impure. The Guru saw our blood stained clothes and said that we were still allowed to enter the Gurudwara. The Guru saw our blood stained clothes and STILL said that we could pray and do seva. I can't get over it. I just can't get over how profound and forward thinking our Gurus were. . . .
ਮਃ ੧ ॥
Mėhlā 1.
First Mehl:
ਭੰਡਿ ਜੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਨਿੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਮੰਗਣੁ ਵੀਆਹੁ ॥
Bẖand jammī▫ai bẖand nimmī▫ai bẖand mangaṇ vī▫āhu.
From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married.
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਭੰਡਹੁ ਚਲੈ ਰਾਹੁ ॥
Bẖandahu hovai ḏosṯī bẖandahu cẖalai rāhu.
Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come.
ਭੰਡੁ ਮੁਆ ਭੰਡੁ ਭਾਲੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਬੰਧਾਨੁ ॥
Bẖand mu▫ā bẖand bẖālī▫ai bẖand hovai banḏẖān.
When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound.
ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਮੰਦਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਰਾਜਾਨ ॥
So ki▫o manḏā ākẖī▫ai jiṯ jamėh rājān.
So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੀ ਭੰਡੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਭੰਡੈ ਬਾਝੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
Bẖandahu hī bẖand ūpjai bẖandai bājẖ na ko▫e.
From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.
ਨਾਨਕ ਭੰਡੈ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਏਕੋ ਸਚਾ ਸੋਇ ॥
Nānak bẖandai bāhrā eko sacẖā so▫e.
O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman.
ਜਿਤੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਸਦਾ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਭਾਗਾ ਰਤੀ ਚਾਰਿ ॥
Jiṯ mukẖ saḏā salāhī▫ai bẖāgā raṯī cẖār.
That mouth which praises the Lord continually is blessed and beautiful.
ਨਾਨਕ ਤੇ ਮੁਖ ਊਜਲੇ ਤਿਤੁ ਸਚੈ ਦਰਬਾਰਿ ॥੨॥
Nānak ṯe mukẖ ūjle ṯiṯ sacẖai ḏarbār. ||2||
O Nanak, those faces shall be radiant in the Court of the True Lord. ||2|| -Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji - Ang 47
"Through women the future generations come." That can't happen without our period!!! Why do we shy away so much from it? Why can't we accept it? Why can't we embrace it?
Here is my dilemma, my confusion, and my disappointment: when our Gurus are so forward thinking and when we are supposed to follow them, why do we still go backwards? Why is that women cannot perform kirtan at Harmander Sahib? Why is that many of our men don't understand and/or don't want to understand what we go through every month? People are very sympathetic and sweet to women who are pregnant. But the biology behind the pregnancy stems from the period that we have each and every single month!
So, am I on my period? Maybe. Please see the video below. . . .
See? We are getting better! No really, we are! Looooookkkkkkk!!!!!
Good job India! Good job!
Also, please check out. . . . . http://binti.co.uk. This organization based out of the U.K. provides education and resources for women all around the world. Especially for women who end up using rags, straw, and other materials or no materials when they have their period. And women who do not have access to pads, clean clothes, and washers and dryers. Binti Period is absolutely amazing. We are getting there. Slowly but surely, we are getting there.
Oh, back to your question. . . .
Am I on my period? Yes. Yes I am. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Bhull Chuk Maaf
Miss Kaur
