Giving Shape to Spring Memories, Where Dandelion Fluff Dances

When I go to the park or for a walk with my child,
they are always finding something
and picking it up happily.

A little stone
A long, cool-looking twig
A smooth seashell
A perfectly round seed
A leaf with a hole in it
A small, cute flower...

"Mom, look!"
With sparkling eyes, they show it to me as if it were a treasure.

"I'll give this to you, Mom!"
Along with those words, they also gift me their love.

On busy days, I sometimes find myself thinking, "What are you going to do with that?"
But that sparkle in my child's eyes when they find something, and the smile they have when they try to share their discovery, is not something they show just anyone.
It is a warm, special time spent with Mom.

When we get home, the things they were so absorbed in picking up are just left at the entrance.
I wonder if they've already forgotten, but I realize that the joy was in the act of picking them up.

Still, every time I see those little "souvenirs," I remember.
The wind of that day, the sound of footsteps, the warmth of holding hands, and the time we laughed together.

Because I want to keep those memories in a visible form, I make decorations using the things they've picked up.

Spring is the season of dandelions.
Children love the fluffy seeds.

They blow on them with a "Whoosh!" and watch them fly away.
"They're all gone!" they laugh, but then they find more, blow on them, and laugh again.
That sight is so precious.

The other day, I gathered a lot of dandelions before they turned into fluff.
"I think I'll try making something with these today."

And what I made was a fluffy dandelion fluff wreath.
I gently set it with hairspray so it wouldn't be defeated by the wind.
When I hang it in the room, that fun time comes rushing back.

Every time I look at the dandelion wreath, I remember
my child's smile and the gentle spring breeze.

I want to continue giving shape to memories with the natural treasures I find with my children.
And I would be happy if those memories could gently warm our hearts in our daily lives.

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Thank you for reading.

The "Dandelion Fluff Wreath" instructions are also posted below. Please feel free to use them as a reference♪

Day 1

Pick the ones that look like they will turn into fluff and attach them to the wreath with a hot glue gun.
*Wreaths and hot glue guns can also be found at 100-yen shops.

Day 2

*If you leave them out naturally, they will open up little by little.

Day 3

Add more dandelions that are about to turn into fluff in their closed state to the gaps.
*I used 28 in total.
(The number will vary depending on the size of the wreath and the fluff.)

Day 4

Set it with hairspray, and once it dries, it's finished.

It's also cute to add a ribbon♡

Depending on the type of fluff, you might be able to make different kinds of wreaths too♪

May they bloom in abundance next year too♪