Encouragement received in bed, and the happiness of everyday life

*Word count of this article: approx. 1000 words*

February has arrived, and there have been some suddenly cold days, and the flu is also going around.
People around me have also started to fall ill.

I was one of them.

It was a sudden case of gastroenteritis.
Although I didn't have a fever, I had a splitting headache and spent time unable to leave the bathroom.
It is a painful experience.

Even I, who am usually obsessed with note, didn't even want to pick up my phone.

As I lay limp in bed, a certain creator suddenly came to mind.

Mashako Haruno.

Mashako-san is a much more experienced creator than I am, and I learn things like the mindset for writing from her articles.

She has a great sense for choosing words and is someone who can be particular about the details.
She is a member of multiple memberships related to "words," and her attitude of wanting to "learn" really comes through.

And she also reads articles by others thoroughly.

I have seen articles where she introduces other people's stories several times before.

In them, she carefully expressed "where her feelings were moved by the writing" and her respect for the person who wrote the article, using words that came from within herself.

That Mashako-san, whom I deeply respect.

She recently wrote an article about how her physical and mental health have been deteriorating.

It seems that February is tough for her, partly because the daylight hours are shorter than in summer.

Even so, Mashako-san posts articles using voice input and AI.

In her own introduction, she writes the following:

That might be why it reached my weakened heart so directly.

In fact, when I was feeling unwell, I was encouraged by Mashako-san's articles and her presence.

I could picture Mashako-san,
diligently facing note from her bed.

At the same time, I felt the gratitude for daily life and the warmth of my family, whom I usually spend most of my time taking care of.

My eldest son asked, "Are you okay?" and
my husband offered, "Shall I make some rice porridge?"
(I accepted just the sentiment of my husband's rice porridge 😌)

Falling ill is truly exhausting.

But, in bed, I was able to
quietly gaze at the "happiness of everyday life."

Being able to rest without worrying about anything is happiness in itself.
And being able to do the usual housework.
Being able to eat with my family.

I felt once again that such small, everyday things are happiness.

Added on 2026.2.16
Thank you so much for reading 😊