If I had to name three small moments of happiness recently? | The day I realized that ordinary times are what stay in my heart the most
Time with family when I noticed small happiness
If I had to name three small moments of happiness recently—
my answer would be the little moments I spent with my family during Golden Week.
An amusement park, a lunch buffet, a toy exhibition event.
None of these are special.
But they are what stay in my heart the most.
This year, it was my first Golden Week spent with my family in two years.
There were no plans for a special trip, but
even so, I found myself looking forward to it a little bit somewhere in my heart.
We don't have to do anything big.
Just having time to spend together.
Just that alone,
makes me feel so much more at ease,
I feel that once again.
The days when I prioritized work and the lingering sense of discomfort
Last year's Golden Week,
I couldn't spend it with my family.
That was because I prioritized work.
At the time, I thought, "It can't be helped right now."
For my career, for my responsibilities,
I told myself that there were things I had to do.
But, to be honest,
there was also a feeling of being unfulfilled somewhere.
And, in that way of working, I ruined my health.
I ended up taking a few months off work.
At first, I only thought about "having to go back soon."
But, during the time I couldn't move,
I ended up facing a question I had been avoiding for a long time.
What am I working for?
Why have I been putting off time with my family
for so long?
I couldn't put it into words well, but
"I have to rethink how I live"was a feeling that
I clearly had.
Family happiness can be created in "5 minutes today"
I gained this lesson from a book I read before.
“Family happiness is not created on special days, but in just five minutes today.”
This is a lesson I learned when I came across a book called '99 Fun Things to Do with Your Family Someday'.
It doesn't have to be a big trip or event.
Even if it's just for a short time,
the memory of laughing together becomes a great memory later on.
That lesson has remained somewhere in my heart ever since.
Time that isn't special, but unforgettable
This year's Golden Week,
I didn't make any special plans.
But I decided just one thing: 'to make time to spend with my family.'
And so, I tried doing a few small things.
One was going on a day trip to a nearby amusement park.
I just spent time laughing while riding the attractions with my children.
The second was a hotel lunch buffet.
We splurged a little and enjoyed a meal in a different atmosphere than usual.
The third was a toy exhibition event.
I got absorbed in playing with my children.
None of these involved traveling far,
nor did they cost a lot of money.
I didn't do anything special.
But, I spent the time thinking,
'Let's cherish this moment' just a little more than usual.
That alone made the same amount of time feel a little different.
To be honest, I don't know if this is the 'right answer.'
There might have been more I could have done.
Even so, I feel like I was able to value 'time spent together'
more than my past self.
That alone
made me feel like I had moved forward just a little bit.
What are your 'three small moments of happiness'?
It doesn't have to be anything big.
A moment of laughter with someone, a time when you felt relieved, or an event that suddenly made you happy.
If you'd like, please tell me in the comments.
To my children | I want you to make choices that make you feel happy
To you both.
I think there are many choices in life.
Working hard at your job,
and protecting precious time, neither is wrong.
But, if you are ever lost,
I want you to choose the path that makes you feel happy.
It doesn't have to be anything big.
I want you to be people who cherish the times you laughed with someone
and the casual moments you spent together.
Dad took a long detour.
But because of that,
I was finally able to think about what is truly important.
The time we spent together
will eventually become memories.
Those memories will surely support you gently
when you are having a hard time or feeling lost.
That is why, it doesn't have to be perfect, but
I want you to be people who can cherish this very moment.
And someday, when you have a family of your own,
if you can become people who cherish that time just the same,
Dad will be very happy.
Because that accumulation of moments
will surely make your lives warm.
Dad is always praying that you will live happily.
That was
'If you had to name three small moments of happiness that happened recently? | The day I realized that ordinary times are the ones that stay in my heart the most'
.
The end.
To you both
— HondaYori Papa
* The ideas behind this article and
how to approach family and children learned from books,
are summarized on the blog 'Book Letters from Dad'.
👉 Blog 'Book Letters from Dad'
* The article that served as the basis for these thoughts is here
👉'99 Fun Things to Do with the Family Someday' Summary/Impressions | 'The Power to Make Family Time a Treasure' [Book Letters from Dad]
* This story is part of the theme 'Thinking about Living'.
By reading it as a connection rather than as isolated points,
you can deepen your understanding of money that isn't swayed by anxiety.
👉 Read articles summarizing tips on how to live
* The 7 themes that Dad values are also kept on the blog.
👉 Read 'The 7 Learning Maps' that Dad has learned
(Note: About tips)
I am writing this letter to preserve my current feelings and lessons,
so that my children can look back on them someday.
If you can empathize with this time or these thoughts even a little,
I would be happy if you could quietly support me.