A typical Saturday morning in my 50s. Realizing that what I take for granted is not a given.

Radio, coffee, toast, and a cat—.

I spend every Saturday morning following a set routine.
And this morning, I suddenly realized that this peaceful time
is "not a given."

Saturday, 7:00 AM.

I slip out of bed with the cat and turn on the radio.
What I always listen to is
Weekend Sunshine.
The music selected by Peter Barakan begins to flow quietly.

While listening to the music, I boil water and grind coffee beans.
As I start the drip, the grounds puff up,
and with the white steam, the aroma rises softly.

I pour plenty of coffee into my favorite mug
and head to my favorite dining chair.

There is no smartphone in my hand.
Instead of looking at an LCD screen, I gaze at the park in front of my house.

The cherry blossom buds are swelling, faintly pink.
They look like they will bloom soon.

After enjoying my coffee for a while, I toast a slice of bread in the grill.

On the toast, browned perfectly over the gas flame,
today I spread cream cheese and homemade kumquat jam.

The saltiness of the cheese and the slightly bitter sweetness.
This "sweet and salty" combination is just wonderful.

While I savor my toast,
the cat is enjoying the residual heat on top of the grill vent.

Each of us has our own morning.

The dining room, bathed in morning sunlight,
is filled with the scent of coffee and toast, and music.

And my heart is slowly being filled as well.

This morning, while spending time like this, I suddenly realized something.

Perhaps this peaceful morning is not something to be taken for granted.

Yesterday, the "Vernal Equinox Day," was the anniversary of my mother's death.
That means today, eight years ago, was the day of her wake.

Back then, I never imagined I would be able to greet a morning with such feelings.

After that, I was diagnosed with an illness myself,
and there were spring Saturdays I spent feeling anxious.

It was also on a Saturday last year that I received the news of my father's critical condition.

Recently, there has been a lot of news that makes me feel anxious about the future, such as war, rising prices, and the weak yen.

Even so.

I think it is something to be very grateful for that I am able to spend such a quiet and fulfilling time like this.

What I take for granted is not a given.

It was a Saturday morning that made me realize once again,
such a simple truth.