My Dear Aunt Flo

For Week 7's Essay-This! assignment.

Almost every woman on the planet has an Aunt Flo. Most hate it when she stops by for a visit. I hear women complain, whine, bitch, moan, and speak of her as if they are cursed to have her. I'm not judging these women. I've done it myself. She can be a nasty bitch, Aunt Flo. Most women are fortunate enough, however, to know exactly when she'll be visiting, how long she'll stay, and when they can expect her to leave. Normally she'll visit once per month and only stay for a few days.

My Aunt Flo, on the other hand, visits whenever the mood strikes her. And, let me tell you, she's an unpredictable bitch. There are no courtesy calls to let me know she's coming. She has dropped by when the house is messy, in the middle of dinner, in the middle of the night, in the middle of sex, when I'm out, when I'm sick, when I'm on vacation...it matters not to her.

So I patiently wait for her to pop in at her whimsy. I'm at her beck and call. I'm always prepared for a visit. There have been times when she won't visit me for months at a time. There are times that she comes for a visit and simply will not leave! But when she's here, regardless of the inconvenience, she makes me feel 'normal.'

I never take her for granted because I secretly fear that if I were to take her for granted, she might never visit again. So, when she wakes me up in the middle of the night with yet another surprise visit, I simply smile, get out of bed, thank her for coming, and hope that she won't wear out her welcome this time.