One evening, when the sky was painted orange and pink, and the cold breeze was humming a lullaby, I was doing the dishes as usual. Then, my eyes caught an empty glass bottle sitting on the kitchen counter. I took it into my hands. It was a mere glass bottle with a few drops of water at the bottom.
It made me think about the thoughts and feelings that I bottled up.
People often bottle up their feelings and thoughts. As an introvert, I had the habit of bottling up too, because no matter how hard I tried, others never seemed to understand me. And the fear of being judged and being laughed at also made me bottle things up.
Maybe it was the insecurities that I let grow inside me. People often said I was always quiet. Compared to my two sisters it was true that I was the quietest. They never showed any hesitation in expressing their feelings, even if it meant arguing with our parents. I was never able to do that as a child.
When all the unspoken things fill the bottle, it becomes hard to hold them back anymore. The frustration becomes suffocating as the bottled heart grows fragile, little by little. It’s like sitting alone in a pitch-dark room. Little by little, the voices get louder and pulls you deeper into the dark.
But it all changed. I stopped bottling up when I found a safe space in a person where I could pour all my thoughts. I saw her as my own reflection. I realised that I was her safe space too. From that day on, we shared every little thing in our lives. Whether it was about academic stress or family chaos, everything seemed to match the rhythm of the wind.
That feeling is truly amazing. It’s like inhaling the fresh air of a pine forest covered in mist. It refreshes the soul within. It lifts all the burdens that are weighing on us.
Not everyone is lucky to find a safe space where they can speak their mind without being judged. Some stay quiet; some explode occasionally. But if you’ve ever wondered whether you’re being weird for wanting to express your feelings, it’s not true. Remember that your feeling are valued.
I turned the bottle upside down to get rid of the few drops of water because it’s always better to be an empty glass bottle than a filled one. Just like I found someone, I hope you’ll find your own “unbottling” partner one day.
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