Daily Prompt Challenge: Oasis

Everyone gets to a point where they can’t take it sometimes. Serenity, now! Right?

As a parent this happens on a daily basis, usually around eight o’clock when you’re done for the day and just want everyone to go to sleep. It’s been a long one so you can’t handle another question about dinosaurs, the Sprout Channel, Curious George, or the universe in general. You don’t want to deal with the battle of the pajamas — basketball pajamas vs. football pajamas. You hope that you don’t have anymore Palmolive Dishwashing Soap because you’ve washed three sinks full of dishes and you so don’t want to have to wash that last Dr. Brown bottle of the night. And by the time you think you’re done with your 14-hour shift you find a fleet of toys sprawled across the floor and your dude walks in and thinks this is an all-night diner.

Dude … Sanctuary. You need it. You require it. And although I’d like the beach to be my oasis because I feel such peace and relaxation when I’m there, the forty-minute drive would probably just add more stress. The sanctuary I turn to when I need an immediate time-out, a deep breath moment, a time to center myself and keep me from throwing a George Costanza kind of fit … the bathroom.

It’s not much, I know. But it’s the only space I’ve got. And it has a lock. It’s there: morning, noon, and night. But these meltdowns usually happen at night so I turn to the bathroom for sanctuary. If my meltdown happened during the day I could get out and bike to the lake. But for the times when I can’t escape … the bathroom. The bathroom becomes my oasis.

It’s quiet. I can light candles if I want to, but I like to sit on the floor in the dark. After a couple of moments I take the photo album out from under the sink and place it on top of the toilet. I fill the bathtub with some hot water, pour in the bath salts, and step in.

I have my little Calgon moment without the bubbles. Water seems to calm me. I don’t know why, I’m a Leo, I should be running around clawing somebody. But nevertheless my makeshift pool accompanied by some tunes, usually country music, helps me out.

 

 

 

I reach for the photo album  and scan through my pictures of Uluru, Australia. I don’t know what it is about that rock, or the awesome peace and spirituality I felt when I was there, but I try to relive it while soaking in the tub. I try to remember that awesomeness of the trip and most of the time it works. Most of the time I catch my breath. Most of the time I see myself on the trip. I see myself sitting in front of the rock. I see myself at peace. I feel my spirit coming back. I’m reminded of the person I was when I was on that adventure and it feels good.

Serenity feels good. 

 

This challenge brought to you courtesy of the Daily Prompt.