I had a ceremony...

There was a huge fuss made by my mother when I started my period, and I wish there hadn't been!!! It was horribly scarring for me. To start out with, my mother made me show her the stain on my underwear to prove that I had started. She then told ALL of my family members. My birthday was a few days after, and my relatives bought me Mydol, pads, tampons and such. Not exactly what a 12 year old wants to unwrap on her birthday in front of friends and family!!!

Being Native American there had to be a feast, and there were many restrictions placed upon me in the first year. One of which was that I wasn't supposed to touch any living animals, which was extremely difficult as I had pets, and have been an animal lover ever since I can remember. There was a lot more to it, but that is all par with the way I was brought up.

The whole experience for me was deeply humiliating, and even 15 years later still makes me angry. Menarche is a very personal and vulnerable time in a young woman's life, and though it needs to be acknowledged, it should be treated with the utmost discretion! I see no reason why it should be brought to the attention of everyone, except maybe the mother, just to let the girl know what to expect. If I ever have a daughter, I will maybe do a little ceremony with me and her alone, but that is it!!!