Just a Bit of Fizz
咕噜一下

“The soft fizz of unspoken joy.
小泡泡的喜悦。”

oil on canvas
41x51cm

Pop! Fizz….

The teddy bear jumped. The bottle beside him had just popped open, sending bubbles frothing across the brim.

“Careful now,” the bear whispered, “you’ll give it all away.”

But the bottle couldn’t help itself. It was graduation day, and pride was fizzing inside it like fireworks.

Mum sat nearby, silent as always, but beaming proudly at her son, who had not noticed.

The teddy bear took it all in. He knew the bottle’s secret: every bubble was a thought unsaid, a feeling unspoken. “I’m proud of you,” whispered in fizz, not in words. “I love you,” disguised as a clink of glass and a soft drink pressed into waiting hands.

Later, there would be a celebratory meal, perhaps some laughter shared over chicken and fries. But for now, the bear stood guard, watching pride overflow quietly, like soda escaping from a shaken bottle. 

Just like the fizz of bottled up pride, and the quiet joy of a parent who struggles to express affirmation, whimsicality is about finding humour and tenderness in understated moments. Healing can come from recognising the love in these small, joyful moments, the love that has always been there, even unspoken.