A Day of Recitals and Fireworks on 2025/08/02: Touched by a 6-Year-Old's Tears of Frustration

2025/08/02

The rain that had been falling until dawn stopped, and the temperature began to climb rapidly. In our home, there was a sense of tension even greater than the humid air.

Today was the piano recital, and tonight is the fireworks festival.
It was the start of a special day for my daughters.

As we prepared in the morning, I felt a small flutter of nervousness deep in my heart.

Thinking that the practice pieces I had been listening to every day would be played in front of a large crowd today, I, the parent watching over them, felt more restless than they did.

A performance on stage that I listened to as if in prayer

At the recital venue, I was literally listening to my daughters' performances with a feeling of prayer.

The sight of them standing alone on a big stage with their small bodies.

It wasn't a flawless performance, but they followed the keys steadily and played through to the end.
I just thought, 'You did so well.'

When I was little, I didn't have many experiences standing on stage alone like this. Seeing my daughters weaving sounds under the spotlight while carrying a quiet tension in their small bodies, I truly felt they were amazing.

My second daughter seemed so frustrated by a mistake she made along the way that when she returned to her seat, she was quietly shedding tears.

She had confidence because she had played it well during practice. In that frustration, I felt the seriousness of a 6-year-old.

The meaning of tears of frustration and the seriousness of a 6-year-old

My mother-in-law and friends came to watch, and everyone told them, 'You were good' and 'You were amazing.'

Even though I was just watching with sweaty palms, I somehow felt proud.

At night, before going to bed, my second daughter muttered, 'Ugh, I messed up the piano. I want to do it one more time.'

She gave herself a score of 20 points.
Even though she tried her best, she is hard on herself.

Not 'I don't want to do it anymore,' but 'one more time.'
Those words left a deep impression on my heart.

My eldest daughter said, 'I never get used to it no matter how many times I do it,' while playing nonchalantly on stage. Her mature expression and relieved smile were certainly different from last year.

I can feel her confidence growing steadily.

I realized that children's growth accumulates quietly, but surely, in this way.

Applause and the sound of fireworks echoing in the night sky

After returning home, we finished saving our spot for the fireworks festival and spent time watching Detective Conan. An hour and a half before it started, we met up with friends and had a conversation over bento boxes.

'The next firework is green!' 'No, it's orange,' the children guessed. They cheered, 'Wow!' at the vivid colors that exceeded their expectations.

The tension and excitement of the morning recital, and the beauty of the fireworks at night.

I believe today was deeply etched into the children's hearts as well.

Have you ever thought, 'I want to do it one more time' recently?

Taking on challenges, using failure as fuel to move forward.
I think it's an important attitude toward life that children teach us.

As we get older, the opportunities to honestly think 'I want to do it one more time' might decrease.

Even so, watching my daughters today, I strongly felt that I want to keep that feeling alive.

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▶︎ Handmade yukata and the twilight of the Bon dance. The power of the community I felt together with my children.

Please start with whatever interests you♪

Thank you so much for reading until the end!
An unforgettable summer day where the recital and fireworks overlapped.

It became a moment of summer that will quietly remain in our family's memory album.
Without pushing, little by little, with care.

Let's find small happiness again tomorrow.
See you again!