Rebeka R. • Chihuahua, Mexico • 29
Growing up I was a very independent kid, but my mother and my grandmother were always so overprotective. I couldn't wait to get my period so I could finally be a woman and be allowed to do stuff on my own.
I was 12 years old and, even though I was expecting it for years, that day at school it got me by surprise. At first I thought I was getting sick, because my stomach hurt, so I went to the restroom to see if it could help and that's when I see it: the dark-brownish surprise.
I was so speechless and terrified that I had to call my mom from a public phone and I couldn't say it out loud! I told her that I needed her to come to school and my exact words were: "Mom, wait, I need you to bring me... something." She understood perfectly and when she got there she helped me to figure stuff out.
As you all know, you don't magically become a "grown-up" overnight after you get your period. I did, however, discover a few years later that you don't need a specific age, or period, to start becoming the strong and independent woman you aspire to be.
