The Time My Son Gave Me

Hot springs have long been a favorite part of our family trips.

If possible, we prefer a free-flowing hot spring source, and a room with an open-air bath.

Because it is time spent as a family,
this is a preference we have always cherished.

Ever since our children were small,
our family has often gone on hot spring trips.

Packing the car with luggage and heading to a hot spring as a family.

The conversations and events from those times are still precious memories today.

This trip was
time that our son gifted to us, his parents.

Before we left,
I was worried because of the forecast for two typhoons.

But for the two days and one night, we didn't get rained on at all,
and we were able to spend a peaceful time.

The inn our son chose for us
was, of course, a free-flowing hot spring.

While gazing at the fresh green leaves from the room's open-air bath,
we soaked in the water many times.

The lukewarm water felt pleasant, and it seemed to heal not just our bodies,
but our hearts as well.

At that moment, I suddenly remembered something.

Our son
was a child who loved baths from a young age.

We went to the local public bathhouse many times,
and we even traveled far away in search of hot springs.

Our son, who had a friendly personality,
was the kind of child who would immediately make friends with people around him
even in the bath.

Once, when my husband took his eyes off him for a moment,
he was happily talking about the merits of the bath
with an elderly man he didn't know.

That little boy
is now bringing us to a hot spring inn he chose himself.

Along with a feeling of happiness,
I felt a strange sensation,
as if I were a little bit lonely.

The day of checkout.

I saw my son paying at the lobby.

Things that we, as parents, used to do,
are now being done by our son.

We sat in chairs,
waiting while watching his back.

Before we knew it, our roles had reversed.

"I want my parents to have a good time."

That was the thought behind the inn he chose for us.
That kind gesture made me happier than anything else.

From trips where parents take their children,
to trips where children take their parents.

Time has truly flown by, hasn't it?

What my son gave me
was not just a hot spring trip.

It was an irreplaceable time
where I felt the continuation of the time we have spent as a family
and the bond that will continue into the future.

I am sure I will remember this day
for a long time to come.

#WhenIFeelMyChildHasGrown

I'll write again soon♡