I got my period at age ten. I was in the middle of my Cowboy and Indian stage and even had my own holster and toy gun. Got them at the Calgary Stampede the same year, I think, when I pestered to see Lash Larue.

I had no idea what this bleeding was all about. I figured I was dying and thought I would just die quietly. Mom and Dad were dealing with a lot. My grandmother had died and my aunt, only 4 years older than me, couldn’t live with Grandpa and Unk in Lethbridge, so she came to live with us. Then there was my younger brother plus our dogs, Mike and Snuggles and Dad trying to build a small business.

There wasn’t much blood the first time but Mom picked up on it. What she said was something about girls do this every month and next time, I would need to wear a belt with a pad. What I heard was the word “BELT” and I remember being SO excited because I wanted a new Roy Rogers belt.