2025/05/25 "What to Keep" and "What to Let Go" — Organizing Photos and Finding Emotional Balance

2025/05/25

It was just past 4:30 AM. I was thinking about starting my stretches when, whoosh, whoosh…the sound suddenly changed.

Within a few minutes, the intensity faded into a quiet drizzle, and silence returned. It felt as if the lingering excitement of yesterday's sports day was being gently cooled down.

A little curveball to start the day.
But on days like this, I feel like savoring my time a bit more carefully.

Feeling the light gradually grow through the curtains, I had a feeling today would be a relaxed day.

Bookshelves and a small fist pump

10:00 AM, off to the library.
My second daughter's goal was a book she's been fond of lately—
"The Midnight Sneezing Contest."

"I want to read other books by this person too!"

Hearing that, I looked up the author's name and browsed the shelves. The time spent slowly looking through the bookshelves one shelf at a time with my daughter felt very luxurious today.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find the book.
Instead, we requested it to be ordered in and headed home.

Seeing her give a small "Yes!" fist pump in the quiet space of the library was somehow very endearing.

The joy of waiting has grown by one more thing.

Corn soup and full, smiling faces

For lunch, we went to Volks for my second daughter's slightly early birthday request."

With a salad bar, soup bar, and bread bar, it had all the "choose it yourself" options that kids love, and seeing my daughter refill her corn soup multiple times was heartwarming.

She bit into her bread and smiled, saying, "It's delicious!"

Laughing and saying, "You ate a lot, didn't you?", it became a lunch time where the whole family was filled and satisfied.

The time when you can say "I'm full!" is truly great! It was the kind of time that felt like it could fully recover from yesterday's fatigue.

More than what we ate, I remember the expressions on our faces while eating.

Photos to keep, photos to let go

In the afternoon, I organized the photos from yesterday's sports day.
Selecting, sending, deleting...
A time to face things without form—data—once again.

My eldest daughter asked me to take pictures of her friends, so I took plenty of those as well.

I delete the photos I send to other moms after sharing them on LINE. Because data is something that just keeps piling up.

"Once you give it to someone, it's already out there."

Thinking that, I suddenly felt that maybe I only need to keep the "things I truly want to keep" in my own hands.

The way you "let go" of records is similar to how you organize your life.

Time to layer colors

In the evening, we added new tools to the coloring books the sisters have been into lately.

Their concentration when coloring lately is amazing.
They looked like they were having so much fun that I bought them watercolor brush pens.

Seeing their eyes light up as they asked, "Wow! Can I color with these?" made me happy too.

The color bleeds gently from the brush tip, making it easy to color even the fine details. I thought they would surely be able to express themselves in ways they couldn't before, and above all, I wanted them to enjoy the things they are "absorbed in" even more deeply.

"This color might be cute if I mix it!"
"Maybe I'll try two colors here!"

There are days when I can respond to their "I want to try this" and days when I can't.

But I'm glad I could do it today.

Relying on others and standing firm

There is something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

When you become an adult, you tend to think, "I shouldn't rely on others" or "I have to manage on my own."

But perhaps true strength lies in the balance of being able to rely on others appropriately when needed, while also taking responsibility for what you can do yourself.

Times to work hard, and times to lean on others.
Times to leave things to someone else, and times to stand firm on your own.
If I can naturally think of both as parts of "me," life will surely become easier.

Today, which began with the sound of rain, was filled with discoveries at the library, a family meal, organizing photos, and watching my children be absorbed in their interests.

Nothing special happened. But today was definitely an irreplaceable day, different from yesterday and tomorrow.

What small choices colored your day today?

Were there any moments where you thought, "Ah, this feels like me"?

Perhaps the things we truly want to cherish are hidden in the casual moments of everyday life.

\ If you'd like, please take a look at this too /

▶︎ Maybe this is what "seeing it through" means
　Quiet pride and smiles felt at the sports day

▶︎ It's kind of nice to have "days where I did it!"

▶︎ An ordinary working mom who enjoys the "morning" by waking up at 4 AM

Thank you so much for reading until the end!

You don't have to keep everything.
It's enough if what you want to convey is properly delivered.

Both "recording" and "relying on others"
might be "powers to protect yourself."
See you again!