Most women (and sometimes men) dread that time of the month. I get it. We’ve been programmed every day since we were young to freak out about our periods, pretend they don’t exist and put on a happy face while experiencing symptoms like cramps, bloating and acne. It’s rare that anyone has anything nice to say when “Aunt Flo” comes to visit. But what if we reframed the conversation and embraced the beauty of our cycles?

Here are 5 reasons why I LOVE my period.