I’d like to raise a toast to the bathrooms of the world… long may their walls hug us and hold our secrets.
On days when I miss my father so much it physically hurts I often find myself sobbing on the bathroom floor. During my most recent bathroom floor episode I found myself being acutely aware of my surroundings, I noticed the colour of the tiles on the walls, the way my towel rack is slightly off center, the scale that doesn’t work-thank god- and I found myself giving gratitude for this small, quiet and safe space. If the walls of my bathroom could talk, what a tale they would tell. These four walls that have seen me everyday, fresh from stumbling out of bed, these four walls that witness me at my most natural, my most authentic self, this place that sees me remove my mask of the day, this place that lets my voice bounce off the walls as I sing along to the radio while I wash my hair, this place I go to in the stifling summer heat to lay on the ice cold floor and cool off, this room that houses the medication and band aids that fixed my grazed knees and cure my hangovers, this hallowed, overlooked place.
I’m travelling and between the plane, the Air BnBs and the hotels, I’m being introduced to a host of bathrooms and I can safely say everywhere in the world the bathroom remains the constant safe haven. Think about it…when you’re at a party and trying to avoid an awkward encounter where do you go? The bathroom, where do you go to make that phone call to tell your friend to call you in 5 mins and feign an emergency to get you out of a first date that is boring you to sobs? The bathroom. When you felt lonely and out of place of school where did you feel safe and hide? The bathroom.
I recently spent a weekend in Orlando attending a friends wedding and I was sharing an Air BnB with one of my closest friends Susie who I had not seen since 2018 and some of my favourite moments from the weekend were Susie and I getting ready in the bathroom trading stories and make up tips while Taylor Swift played in the background.
Is there any place where the sisterhood is more proudly displayed than the girls bathroom? where strangers offer hair ties or tampons and where if you see a girl crying you dry her eyes, give her some lip gloss and remind her she’s a queen and he ain’t worth it. Honestly girls bathrooms on a night out are where its at besties!
So here’s to the bathrooms of the world, long may their walls hug us and house our secrets.
Xxxx