Speaking of period blunders

I remember middle school. Gym class. My bag tipped, and a tampon rolled across the floor like it had somewhere urgent to be.

I froze. MORTIFIED.
Looked around. And did exactly what my 13-year-old self thought would save me: Pretend it wasn’t mine. Not the tampon. Not the problem.

Kayla, my best friend,,,saw it all. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t comment. She just kicked it back to me, like, “It’s fine. We’re fine.”

No words. No drama. Just quiet, unspoken solidarity in the middle of chaos.

Funny now. But then? Embarrassment felt catastrophic.

Looking back, I wish I’d known: It’s just a tampon. We all have moments like this. I didn’t have to hide. I didn’t have to pretend.