I was 13 when my mom decided it was time. Instead of sitting me down for a heart-to-heart, she handed me a pastel booklet titled “You’re a Young Lady Now” and told me to sit on the stairs and read it. Alone.

Once I finished my literary journey into puberty, she asked, “Any questions?” I had about 400.

But I just mumbled “Nope,” and stared at the floor.

Then came the box of Kotex pads—what my friends and I (with the humor of 13-year-olds) called “mouse mattresses.” She told me to keep them handy and, without much transition, added, “And now… you need to be careful around boys.”

I asked, “What do you mean careful?” She turned six shades of pink, looked at the ceiling, and said, “Just… be careful.” No sex ed class. No school filmstrip. No diagrams.

But I had my best friend Annie and a very “knowledgeable” classmate from a large family. Let’s just say, what we learned behind the woodshed was a whole lot more detailed than anything in that little booklet.

We may not have understood much, but we sure had a lot of laughs trying to figure it all out. It was the late ’50’s. Back then, moms did the best they could while navigating a culture of silence and modesty.

Did your mom give you “the talk”? Or did she dodge it like mine did?

Let’s share the stories—because awkward is universal, and sometimes funny is the best teacher.