I was far too young to have known it was a period. Fellow fifth graders on the monkey bars told me I should go to the bathroom or seek the nurse. Off I went. When the single stall shut and I saw red, my thought—my first one—was not of panic or even embarrassment. I figured if now was when I was to die, at least I could make a grand wish. That’s what all dying children are granted, right? I workshopped this wish with the school nurse, who plainly told me I’d have to meet Daniel Radcliffe some other way.
M. Atchleross is a Richmond, Virginia, writer, photographer, and appreciator of well-preserved mid-century modern homes. “Early Optimism” is the Editor’s Pick for our WISH contest, part of our 2026 Micromemoir Marathon.