Paddling the Cycle Of Life, I Feel Accomplished
Swiping the alarm off, I tried helplessly to move my somewhat frozen limbs to get down from the bed but could not,since my body seemed to be torn to bits;its every cell was aching. Something within my system was creating a havoc, but I didn’t have the faintest idea of its occurrence; as nowadays it comes at unexpected times as an uninvited guest. A proof of my femininity and fertility; I was riding once again on the cycle of life: my menstrual cycle had just begun.
Menstruation is an outstanding process by which a female body prepares itself for the formation of gametes for fusion to encase a life within, by a process called ovulation. Life cycle implies a Birth-Death-Rebirth process in a defined cyclical pattern. Birth, which is an initiative of generations towards expansion finds its fulfillment due to this periodic flow. Its significance was truly acceptable to me when I was handed my firstborn for the first time and hence I have defined the menstrual cycle as The Cycle Of Life for my boys to accept it as a normal mechanism of a female body, just the way we carry out other physiological functions instead of feeling uneasy or dirty about it.
As a girl, I envied my brothers and other boys around for the sole reason that they never bled periodically, while we girls had to go through it starting from a tender age, guarding ourselves against spotting and feeling helpless for not participating in any outdoor activities during this defined time. Periods were always scary as every woman went through some or the other discomfort; physically as well as mentally (with fingers pointing towards them), during that time of the month.
I observed women in my family being ‘down’ when I was young and as I reached puberty, I was mentally prepared for ‘those days’ about to occur anytime, due to the inputs I also got from my friends. Awareness somehow helped but the physical exhaustion during the times of periods put each individual’s own personal endurance at check. Once I reached secondary school, I knew how important a regular and healthy menstrual cycle was for life to continue, as the fact that the future wouldn’t thrive in its absence was an accepted fact for me by then.
It’s only a women’s fortitude to see herself sacrifice her blood every month and is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea; hence God rescued man from this ordeal and they bravely tagged themselves to be the chosen ones. Rather,a woman is privileged to support a life out of her own self, paddling the cycle of reproduction, glorifying the menstrual cycle throughout her fruitful life.
After conception, I thanked those blissful period-less nine months and to be free from the heavy flow and frequent changes; but post delivery, it started all over again. It saw me grow wiser to the extent that I was happy for my cycle of life to be perfectly functional. What agitated me now was the mountain of social norms formed out of the molehill when I saw menses being made such an issue and taboo out of. It’s as normal as urinating or defecating, the only difference being that men don’t have blood flow, simply because cocks don’t lay eggs. Women however, never ask for any special treatment during this period of hemorrhage, they have been trying hard to manage all of their duties efficiently, avoiding being drained due to blood loss only to be disguised in the name of customs and traditions by their own near and dear ones.
I ovulate, drip, stain, clot or dry; its none of somebody else’s bloody business. It’s my blood and why should the rest make so much of a fuss about it? It’s high time people mind their own matters and stop poking their nose and hindering others’privacy. Be it my family or friends or neighbors, I don’t give this right to anyone to interfere with the dignity of my body. If I am going to be treated as an alienate a social event due to my dates, I shall choose to neglect such invitations with my prudence and pride intact. It’s not something to be hidden, as it’s not wrong to be productive, that is what menstruation stands for in broader terms. So accept it as a blessing, feel good about it and happy for its occurrence indicating ‘the cycle of life’functioning smoothly, as all those pointing fingers at us, have the rest of their pointers indicating their insensitivity to understand the very laws of nature.
It is none other than a mother who can make a child comfortable about the bodily changes that are about to take place with growth. Let us teach our children in time, about this indispensable ‘cycle’ irrespective of their gender,emphasizing its significance, and by highlighting its normalcy.
Author: Shalini Shah
Shalini is a homemaker, mother and a lover of nature. Content writing is her new found love. You an read more of her writing at her blog: https://shalinispeaksblog.
Editor: Divya Rosaline
