Starting self-training in 'being dependent' | A spoiled child at any age

*Word count of this article: approx. 1400 words*

To be honest,
I have thought this to myself many times.

"Do it yourself."

I worry about very small things.
I think I am probably the type who "worries too much."

When I was in elementary school, I couldn't stand the way the boy sitting next to me would let his elbow hang over onto my desk.

Right now, the thing that is bothering me is the hot water in the electric kettle.

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At work, when winter comes, more people start drinking coffee or using hot water.

If you use the hot water, it decreases.
It doesn't just magically refill itself.
Someone needs to refill it.

So, who?

When I first started at my current job, I was asked,
"Please refill the kettle when the hot water runs out."

Is that one of my jobs?

I felt a bit pathetic, or perhaps sad, about it.

I haven't even used the hot water at work for over a year now.

Shouldn't the person who used it be the one to refill it?

Honestly, that is my inner voice, haha.

The water to refill the kettle is kept in a plastic bottle right next to it.

Even so, when the hot water runs out, some people go out of their way to tell me,
"It's empty~"

But the other day, I discovered someone else,
"Heave-ho. Heave-ho."
refilling it with water.

Suddenly, I felt a sense of guilt.

But I dared to leave it as it was.
I just said "thank you" and didn't help.

Then, a few days later, someone else refilled it.
Even while sensing a small prick of annoyance when they said "There's no hot water," I just said "thank you" and let them do it.

At that time, honestly, I didn't really understand my own emotions.
I couldn't put into words what I was reacting to.

I found the answer to that this weekend.

There was a basketball game in another city.
Once again, I just really didn't feel like going.
I just didn't want to go, somehow.

Even though I acknowledged the feeling of "not wanting to go," I had this lingering sense of unease because I couldn't make a decision.

When I unraveled it, it was
my own selfish imagination that "I'd feel bad for the other parents" or "I'd be told to stay in the gym properly,"
that was the cause.

I realized that, and with a burst of courage, I decided 'not to go'.

That said, transportation was still necessary.
I dropped my child off at the gym, just greeted the other parents, and said, 'I'm going for a walk,' before heading outside.

To my surprise, everyone reacted normally.
They smiled and sent me off with a 'Have a nice time.'

I had been on the verge of drawing a line, fearing that the mean people in my imagination might say something nasty, but no one said anything of the sort.

I didn't do anything in particular, but
I relaxed at a nearby mall, visited a bakery I'd never been to before, and was able to enjoy some free time.

On the way home, I felt a warmth in my heart, thinking, 'I was allowed to be dependent today.'

I felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the other parents who accepted my decision to do my own thing.

I believe that when you can naturally feel 'thank you' like that, it comes across when you interact with others.

I could have pushed myself, but by allowing myself to be dependent, I was able to avoid being prickly.

When I was able to let go a little of the things I had always thought I 'had to do' or 'should be doing,' the office teapot suddenly popped into my head.

I decided to try being a little more dependent.

Not 'abandoning' my responsibilities,
and not 'slacking off,' but changing my mindset to 'being dependent' when I can't do something.

I feel like just doing that removes one thorn I've been pointing at myself.

'A spoiled child at any age'—what a wonderful phrase.

Updated February 9, 2026
I am so happy that so many people have read this.
Thank you♡