On becoming a woman

The first time I got my period I was sleeping over at a friends house. It was Mother's day weekend, I was 12. I woke up at my friends house went to the bathroom and was totally confused! I did not say anything to my friend and went home for Church and Mother's day activities. At the time we lived with my Grandmother...so that means my Mom and Dad, the 5 kids, my Aunt Helen (my grandmothers sister), my Grandparents (my Grandfather was sick with Huntington's Korea disease) my Uncle Johnny and my Aunt Linda...we all lived under the same roof! So imagine the chaos of a Sunday morning as everyone is fighting for bathroom time, a spot at the table to eat, and getting everyone out the door in time for Mass...can you say HECTIC! I try to pull my Mom aside privately and tell her what is going on...as if there is any privacy in a house FULL of people! I settle for a moment at the top of the stairs near the bathroom. I tell her what I suspect is occurring hoping beyond hope that she is going to hug me and take me into the bathroom and show me what the hell to do! Oddly enough my Mother stares and me and says "What do you want me to do? There is a box of pads under the sink". Devastated! I go into the bathroom and pull out what looks like a diaper and I think NO WAY! Then I get an idea...maybe I am wrong...maybe I am not menstruating!! Off I go with the family to church. When we return 2 hours later I go into the bathroom and sure enough things are happening. So I corner my mother again and say "Mom I am ruining my underwear can you PLEASE help me?" and she gapes at me and looks at me like I'm an idiot...she says "I can't buy you any new underwear so you'd better figure it out!". ACK!!!!
Well of course I did figure it out and then insisted on walking home everyday for lunch so I could use the facilities and not have to bring any of that "stuff" to school. In June my aunt flow did not appear and I was SOOOO relieved thinking it was all a mistake...it was back in July *sigh*.