Blooming

Judy Blum had her finger on the pulse of the early teen years, no question. I imagine that those books, so informative and fun are now for younger children given that they seem to grow up so darn fast these days. But, back in my time it was generally the 12 -15 year old group who benefited from Judy's wisdom.

It was thanks to Judy Bloom that I learned what a wet dream (nocturnal emission) is and about involuntary and poorly timed erections. (See Then Again, Maybe I Won't) By Judy's grace I gained some insight and compassion for teenage boys, who would otherwise have remained somewhat repulsive and incredibly irritating.

I must confess that Are You There God? It's Me Margaret while entertaining, was not at all helpful to me personally. It wasn't Judy's fault, I'm sure. I don't think I was a typical pre-teen or early teen. You see, where Margaret yearned for her period to start, where she longed to shop for a training bra, I felt only dread at the thought of the changes these things foretold. I knew it was inevitable...the knowledge that my period would eventually rear its bloody head weighed on me like a ton of sanitary pads and lingerie. Doomed. I felt doomed and cursed to follow in the footsteps of all women...women like my "well endowed" mother and older sister.

In my opinion, these impending changes could only interfere with my life. Let Judy Bloom's Margaret and her band of giggling eager beavers embrace their womanhood. I had no time for that. I had games to play, races to run, laps to swim. Frankly, boobs would only get in the way of my activities. And, since no tampon had yet crossed the threshold of my home, I could see my summertime pool fun floating away on a box of Kotex.

Of course, eventually, those dreaded moments came to pass. I did need a bra. I waited as long as I possibly could, by my mother forced me to go into the lingerie section of The Bay, and there it happened. I had to get - and actually wear - a bra. Margaret would have been envious, I needed that stupid bra significantly earlier than my peers. Oh, yes, I hated it. And yes, the boobs got in the way...they still do, as a matter of fact. And while I occasionally resent their unwieldiness, I am grateful that they have fed my three beautiful daughters and I am thankful that though saggy, they are healthy and cancer free. My period was indeed a pain, both figuratively and literally, but tampons are indeed a great invention and my periods remind me of my reproductive health and made possible my three babies, so again, I am grateful.

For me, becoming a woman was not the exciting, fun filled adventure that some girls expect it to be and I didn't enjoy it at the time, but I sure am happy to be a woman now. I look forward to sharing the Judy Bloom books with my girls as they grow up. I'll encourage them not to try to rush the process...I want them to stay little girls for as long as possible!