The Unexpected Emotion I Realized When Told 'I Want Plastic Surgery'

"I want to get double-eyelid surgery."

While we were having dinner around the table, we saw a commercial for cosmetic surgery.
I was shocked by the innocent remark made by my eldest daughter, who is a university student.

P-p-plastic surgery!?

Today, I'd like to talk about the unexpected emotion I discovered within myself
because of that one remark.

Just because I'm a parent doesn't mean I have the right to take away my child's freedom.

Eye glue, double-eyelid tape, sticks...
I know, Mom knows.
I know you spend quite a lot of time on it every morning.

I get it, it's natural to be concerned about those things.
I don't want to oppose what my child desires.

"I want to travel alone," "I want to take on a new challenge."

No matter what,
I want to be a parent who can support my child's dreams.

That's why, until now,
I have respected my children's feelings of "I want to do this!"
and have always said, "That's a great idea."

And yet, when I heard "plastic surgery," I thought, "Oh, no."

Recently, cosmetic surgery has become more common.
As a writer, I've written several articles about it and feel it's not a bad thing.
In fact, I'd even like to get it myself.

For example, in my case,
the age spots and wrinkles that have become more noticeable as I've gotten older.

I feel sad every time I look in the mirror, but
if I could soften them even a little and gain confidence in myself,
it would surely be worth the money.

But this is strictly about me.

After hearing my daughter's "I want to get plastic surgery" remark,
I couldn't immediately say, "That's a great idea."

Somewhere in my heart,
do I think of my own child as my "property"?

Surely, many different things will happen from here on out.

Will I be able to support my children's "I want to do this"?

What if they bring home a "lover" older than me?
What if they say, "I'm pregnant"?
What if my son or daughter says they want "full-body hair removal"?
What if they say they want to quit university or their job?
What if they get hooked on a religion?
What if they suddenly come home with tattoos all over their body...!

It's not impossible.
My whole body trembled at the delusions that raced through my mind in an instant.

Would I be able to stay calm when 'that time' comes?

To my daughter who said, 'I want to get plastic surgery,' I replied with a trembling voice while desperately trying to suppress a voice that felt like it was about to crack,
“
I don't think it's a bad idea”

“What are you talking about? I'm not going to get it. I'm just joking,” my daughter laughed.

No, no, the possibility isn't zero, is it?
For the sake of 'that day' that might come someday,
I think I'll prepare myself just a little bit starting now.