A Message for Moms Raising Children🌈Reflections After 8,450 Days of Parenting

The other day, I received a notification from note saying, "Your articles received a lot of likes last week."
I am truly happy that so many people
resonated with my article supporting working moms.
Your comments and likes

are a great source of encouragement for me.😌

To you, who are raising children—the daily struggles and the love

To everyone raising children, thank you for all your hard work.
Don't you have days filled with love, frustration, and a sense of emptiness,
wondering, "What am I even doing?"
You know it's not rational, but you just can't help it.
There are days like that, aren't there?

My memories of parenting—the weight of 8,450 days

Let me share a little of my story.
I am over 50, and in July 2020, my child registered their marriage and moved out.
The wedding was held in February 2022,
and I received a bag of rice weighing the same as my child at birth.
The moment I held it, the solid weight brought back
vivid memories of those days.

I felt overwhelmed, thinking, "Oh, this was the weight."

The parenting period was 8,450 days.
But since I was working as a full-time employee, I think the time I spent with my child was even less.
Even though every single day was so busy
and so many things happened,
looking back, it was only
a little over 8,000 days...

My grandchild's smile and questions to my past self

Now, every time I see my two-year-old grandchild's face,
I am often made to think about how my own parenting was.
Time that has passed cannot be reclaimed.

That is precisely why I want you to cherish the time you spend with your family now,

and I hope you can spend it as comfortably as possible.

To regain peace of mind

Children are treasures.
But when you lose your peace of mind,
sometimes you can't see that treasure.

You don't have to be perfect.

First, try facing your own heart, even if just for five minutes.
It's okay to just zone out while drinking a warm cup of tea or listening to your favorite music.

Relying on others is not a weakness, but wisdom

And please, rely on the people around you.
Family, friends, community support...
Use whatever you can!
First, try talking to your own heart.

No matter what difficulties you face, your children will surely grow up and eventually leave the nest.

You will be okay.

The importance of recording—for future memories

A day will come when you can laugh and say,
“That was tough back then, but it’s a good memory now,”
just like I can today. When that time comes, please have recorded the present so you can share plenty of stories. Whether it’s a diary, photos, videos, anything is fine. When children become parents themselves, they often ask, “What was it like when I was little?” I couldn’t tell my children much about those days in detail, so this is advice from a “senior who is a little further ahead” (laughs). Honestly, memories really do get fuzzy💦

Your own time after parenting

You might be thinking,
“I have no time!”
because you are so busy every day. I felt that way every day, too. But once parenting is over, your own time is waiting for you. I am fully enjoying that time now. I go on trips with my husband and friends, and I’ve even started writing on note. I’m taking on new challenges, too. That kind of future is definitely waiting for all of you as well.

Conclusion—Be kind to yourself today

Please, don’t blame yourself too much today, and try taking a deep breath. And I hope you can smile just a little bit more tomorrow than you did today☺️

Thank you for all your hard work every day🌹 What do you want to do when your parenting days are over? I’d be happy if you could leave a comment✨

Thank you for reading until the end. See you next time...

I’m trying something new this time!

I’m participating in the Harumaga project☝️

Participating in the
[19th Campaign] Share your story

✍🏻