My Beloved Baby Brother

This is a photo of my little brother Albert Arnold Jr. He came into my life on March 31st 1948. I was ten years old. One day in 1947, my mother told me that I was going to have a little brother or sister. Papa prayed for a boy, but I wanted a sister. Papa got his wish. In 1947, there were no ultrasound machines, so there was no way to tell what gender my unborn sibling was. So everyday, I rubbed my mother's stomach, trying to keep my baby brother warm, communing with his spirit at the same time. I also listened to his heartbeat. I love my little brother, I always have, even when he was still in the womb, I expressed my love for him.

One day in 1948, my mother's water broke and she was taken to the hospital. I will never forget that day. That was the day I held my little brother in my arms for the first time. He was so tiny and delicate, and I could not get enough of him. They say that when you reincarnate you lose all of your memories, but I will never forget the day my precious baby brother was born.

One day, I decided to change little Al's diapers. Since he was a little baby boy and didn't know any better, he squirted all over the changing room, which mother had to clean up.

When Al was a little boy and I was a teenager, back in the 1950's, we moved into the Fairfax hotel, which was owed by my second cousin Grady. Al became a notorious underwear thief. He used to steal my underwear all the time. One time he stole one of my bras and I chased him to get it back. This was recorded in a book by Bill Turque. Unknown by many is the reason why Al Gore stopped stealing underwear. One day, I was on my period and I got blood all over my panties. Little Al saw a pair and started screaming "Nancy's sick, Nancy's sick". After which, my mother gave him a lecture on the female menstrual cycle. When I saw him, I was a little irritated with him, but he was so deeply shaken, I decided to have mercy on him. He asked me if having one's period hurt. I told him no.

This is a reply older women give to younger women, (and in some cases little brothers) to dispel worry. The truth is, that getting your period can hurt, especially when there are clots involved. in order for the uterine lining to escape the uterus, the cervix must dilate, which can be painful. The medical term for this is dysmennorhea, which can be so painful that the woman passes out from the pain. This has happened to me before. Every one in ten girls gets this pain so bad that they miss school, which has also happened to me on several occasions. Dysmennorhea causes nausea and vomiting as well. Some things that help are heating pads and marijuana.

Over 12 billion pads and tampons are are used by women annually. They are used once and then thrown away. Many of these products are made with plastic, which creates carbon dioxide when it biodegrades. In the old days, pads were made with cotton and gauze and worn with an uncomfortable belt. There are 85 million women of menstruating age in North America alone. Imagine 85 million people unwittingly adding to the climate crisis. To combat this issue The Keeper inc. has two products that collect menstrual fluid, one is called the Moon Cup. it is made with medical grade silicone. They are FDA approved and made in the United States. There are also reusable pads out on the market. All women use pads at some point in their life. Since tampons cannot be worn to bed, pads must be used. Save the environment and use a keeper.