Everyone has a special place all their own. A sanctuary, a retreat, an asylum… call it what you will, it is a place for you to let go of whatever it is that bothers you. My place, as weird as this sounds, is my bathroom. Not just my bathroom, though. It’s my bathtub/shower. That is the one place, no matter how I am feeling, I can take the full weight of my emotions and pour them out in whatever way feels best to me.
A bath is for a release of tension, stress, muscle aches, or frustration. In a bath, you do not sit upright, you do not worry about anything, and you do not feel the aches and pains of the day. Instead, you let go. You allow the warm water to surround you, and you feel comfort, protection, safety. In a bath, nothing can bother you, hurt you, affect you. It is an escape into a wonderful floating space of warmth.
A shower is for a release of despair, anger, sorrow, or thrills. In the safety of the warm, pouring water, I have yelled, danced around, sang, and sobbed. There is no worry about who will see me, who will hear me, or who will hurt or change me. It is just me, letting go of a powerful feeling through some of the most basic human actions. At the end of a shower, I feel a strange calm. It is like I have allowed myself to put everything I had into that cry, that singing, that shout, and now I am empty of that negative feeling. Instead, all that is left is a peaceful love – the same love I feel when I exit the church building on Sunday. It is a love I cannot explain, but I know I do not want to live without it. It is that love that makes me KNOW that we are never, EVER alone. From our darkest to our happiest times, God is there, watching over us, loving us. He rejoices with our every happiness, and he grieves with us in our sorrow. He stands with us, helps us through our anger, our stress, our discomfort. It is a wonderful feeling, and one that I cling to as long as I can.
The best part of that release of emotion in the shower? That peace stays with me all the next day. I usually fall into a deep, often dreamless sleep after that outpour, and I awake the next morning ready to face challenges and take on whatever life is going to throw at me. I only hope that everyone can find that peace for themselves. I know that I would not want to live without it.
This post left every reader with a mental image of you singing, dancing, yelling and crying in the shower. That must be very disturbing to your brother. I also love the bathroom. I feel safe in there for some reason.