Sanitary Napkins: A New Member of My Closet

Do you know where I first came across a sanitary napkin?

Of course — in school.

After studying in a private school till 5th grade, I moved to a government school. Everything was new: new friends, new teachers, new subjects, and a new environment to grow in.

But along with all that, on the 27th of April, I saw something truly unfamiliar — sanitary napkins. In government schools, they were distributed monthly, and I was handed two packets. Honestly, I was so clueless. I didn’t even know what they were for because my first period didn’t come until three years later, in class 8.

Until then, every month, I would quietly take the packets home and hide them under my bed. My mother had once told me — "We don’t talk about such things. Not with your brother, not with your father." So I didn’t ask. I didn’t speak. I just... hid.

🌸 The Day It Finally Happened

My first period experience? Honestly, it was the worst.

I was at tuition when I first noticed something wasn’t right. I rushed home, ran to the bathroom — and there it was. Blood.

Panicked, I told my mother. That was the first time someone actually explained to me what periods are. For the very first time, the plastic wrap on that napkin packet was torn open in front of me. The paper covering on the pad was peeled off, and she showed me how to use it — slowly, carefully, lovingly.

And then I asked a question I’ll never forget:

"Mumma, did I do something wrong? Is this God punishing me?"

I thought something bad had happened. I wondered if I was a bad girl. I didn’t know this happened to everyone. I thought it was just me.

That was the beginning of many silent questions — and the start of a bond between me and these napkins.

🧳 From Shame to Closet Space

From that day till now, every school trip, every picnic, every overnight stay — I’ve carried my sanitary napkins like my clothes. Neatly packed, always there, always hidden.

But today, they're not hidden anymore.

They have a space in my closet — not as a sign of shame, but as a mark of strength. They're not just napkins; they're reminders that I’ve grown, understood, and embraced something that once terrified me.

🌺 If You’re a Girl Reading This…

Maybe your first experience wasn’t easy either. Maybe you also hid those pads under your bed. Maybe you felt scared, or punished, or confused.

Just know this:
You're not alone. And you’re not “impure” or “wrong” — you're powerful.

Periods are not a punishment. They are a part of who we are, and sanitary napkins are just little helpers — not something to hide, but something to carry with pride.