#15 The ability to 'wait' before a bento box
For this trip back home, my husband had to work, so it was just Amane and me traveling together.
Before boarding the early morning Shinkansen, we bought bento boxes for lunch at the station and set off.
As soon as we sat in our seats, Amane said...
"I'm going to eat now! I'm so hungry!"
No, it's still morning. You just ate breakfast, didn't you?
I bought these for lunch, remember?
"If you eat them now, you won't have lunch later. Let's at least wait until this says '1' (when the smartphone clock hits 10:00)."
A promise for about an hour and a half later.
Honestly, I didn't think she would last...
However, Amane,
while saying "Mmm, it smells so good. I want to eat it soon," she would take it out of the bag, open the lid, and...
hold the side dishes in her hand, look at them, smell them, and stare at them intently.
Even after 10:00 passed, she didn't take a single bite.
When I said, "You waited so well! Let's eat!", Amane started eating with a huge grin on her face.
Honestly, I was impressed! Isn't that amazing?
Perhaps it was good that I made it a "promise" rather than a "prohibition," and that I acknowledged her "desire to eat" while we waited.
She must have felt a small sense of pride in "keeping the promise herself."
What's more, this trip is a long one.
One hour by train from home, four hours by Shinkansen, and another hour of transfers.
The only toys brought along were an electronic memo pad and a fishing toy.
Even so, Amane found ways to have fun with what was available, like peeling the labels off plastic bottles bought along the way, opening the wet towels we were given, or clicking the seat lights on and off.
Instead of looking for what's 'missing,' being able to 'play with what's there' is a very important skill. It's a huge help as a parent, too.
Even during long travel times, she can turn 'Are we there yet?' into 'This is fun, too.'
And then, before lunch, she gobbled up the long-awaited bento box.
I'm sure that time was even more special than the taste itself.
The bento wasn't just a meal; it became the best travel feast, packed with Amane's 'ability to wait' and 'ability to enjoy.'
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