Then, Second Son will go with you!

My eldest son is a little bit of a scaredy-cat.

Even during the day, he doesn't like going upstairs alone.

When he has to go get something he forgot.

When he has to wait in an empty room.

When he has to go to the bathroom alone before bed at night.

Whenever those situations arise, there is a voice I always hear.

"Then, Second Son will go with you!"

A slightly clumsy "Then."

He still can't say "Well then" properly, and that phrase, which sounds like he's imitating my own habit, is just so like my second son.

Then my eldest son says in a small voice,

"...Thank you."

And they walk off side by side.

I have seen this scene many times now.

At first, I was surprised.

"Wow! That's a big help!"

There are many times when I absolutely cannot move, like when I'm changing my third son's diaper or cooking.

"I wish I could go for you."

Just as I'm thinking that, my second son stands up as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

No one asked him to.

No one told him, "Go with him."

When he senses the atmosphere that his older brother is in trouble,

"Let's go!"

he says, reaching out his hand.

And when he returns, he says with his chest puffed out a little.

"Mom! Second Son went with him!"

Every time I see that proud face,

"You're such a big brother now," I think, and I can't help but smile.

But it's strange.

A few minutes later,

"Mommy, hug."

he comes clinging to me.

For brushing his teeth,

"Do it for me."

When he gets sleepy,

"I'll sleep next to Mommy."

When he gets into bed,

"I love you, Mommy."

He says that and wraps himself tightly around my arm.

He's still such a baby.

That's why I sometimes forget.

That this child, too, is growing up properly.

Recently, my eldest son has started to invite him,

"Second Son, let's go together."

And my second son, as if he'd been waiting for it, says,

"Okay, okay! Let's go!"

and starts walking.

An older brother protecting his younger brother.

I often imagined scenes like that.

But in our house, sometimes it's the other way around.

Of course, my second son admires his older brother.

Pokemon, too.

Games, too.

Toys, too.

He wants to imitate everything.

Even so, it's not just about "being protected."

When he thinks there is something he can do, he moves properly with his small body.

Parents tend to look for their children's growth in big events.

The training wheels came off.

He learned to do a back hip circle on the bar.

He was able to speak loudly at the recital.

He got a good grade on a test.

Of course, those things make me happy too.

But living with children, you realize something.

True growth is much quieter.

Being able to say "Thank you" honestly.

Being able to notice when someone is in trouble.

Having your body move naturally to say, "I'll go with you."

Those things aren't written on report cards, and even if you take a picture, it might just be an unremarkable snapshot.

But years later, when I look back at an album and think,

"The kids were so small, weren't they?"

I think what I'll remember is, unexpectedly, a scene just like this.

"Then, Second Son will go with you!"

That small back view as he walked away, leading his older brother by the hand that day.

That, too, is surely proof that this child has grown.

Parents tend to try to go looking for their children's growth.

But in reality, perhaps growth isn't something you go looking for.

In the casual, everyday life,

in a word you suddenly hear,

or in a back view you see without thinking,

the moments where you think, "They've grown so much," are hidden right there.