Emotional Container

Chapter 1

" It all started when I was 12, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 blood cancer. We didn't have much time left with her. Dad made it clear on that very day. We all had to wear masks for safety reasons. We wanted to make her last few days special and less painful for her. Maria, my older sister, is 5 years older than me, we both always came back from school early to spend as much time as we could with her. We both cooked dinner for her and read stories to her. Shared our school events and fell asleep beside her bed. Dad worked hard to pay for the medicine and came home very late from work....''

The stillness descended over the room as Anna looked dazed.

"Then that day, the day we all dreaded finally came. In just a few hours, mom's condition rapidly deteriorated. We took her to the hospital but it was too late. I still remember her struggling to say her final words. Her final wish. 'Be happy, momma loves you both.' She repeated it over and over again. Until she came to a complete halt... We knew this would come, but it felt like it came too soon. Too soon... Everything fell apart. It was like every time and-and in fact everywhere I could see her, hear her, feel her...

People whispered about us everywhere we went. 'the motherless daughters' they called. Dad pretended to be strong as if it didn't affect him a bit. But it did. We sometimes heard him sob downstairs. Hugging mom's picture to sleep. He was the strong pillar, I and Maria relied on. Yet the murmuring did not stop. It just grew louder and louder.... Until that's all I could hear... How god was so hard on us.... How it would be so hard on a single dad to take care of his 2 daughters in this day and age..."

There was a long deafening pause.

" I am sorry... I can't anymore"

There were gentle cries and apologetic whispers in the room. Her hands muffled the sound.

"It's fine, Anna, just let it out. You've been holding it in for a long time." Quietly stated the therapist.

The weeping became more intense. Her sob faded after a while, and she raised her eyes to look at her therapist, who sat with a proud but empathic smile.

"Let it be till here today. Let us meet again next week, okay?" her voice spoke sweetly.

" Yes thank you.'' the other spoke. " do you think I can go back to my normal life ever again?"

" You will, soon," she said without any hesitation as if there was some hidden known truth there.

" Thank you Yn for believing in me, I wish that 'soon' comes quickly. Maria and Dad had waited much too long for me."

She gave a hopeful smile and got up to shake Yn's hand.

"See you next week then," Anna said, her voice now clearer.

" Yea sure Anna, have a nice weekend"

"You too."

Anna then walked out of the room, leaving the other alone.

" We can start her treatment from next week. She did well today. She came here just 2 weeks ago with her dad and older sister, seeking help for Anna's auditory hallucinations, a sign of schizophrenia. I am proud of her to share her feelings so soon. People take months to open up to their feelings. Yet again, she is still very young, 15. It was a special request from my assistant, who is a friend of Mike, Anna's dad. She required immediate help. Her grades were deteriorating and her social life was crashing down. She became more and more closed off to her family as well. "

She closed her notebook after writing the small note on Anna's condition. Yn wrote a small journal for every patient she had, to keep track of their healing and let out foreign emotions from her system. After the client's therapy sessions are completed she burns it, together with all the negative emotions, the case might have brought to her.

After all, people believe a therapist is nothing but an "Emotional Container", who takes in others' feelings and thoughts and bottles them up for them.