When do you eat the strawberry on your cake?

The strawberry on top of a shortcake.
When do you choose to eat it?

Some people eat it first,
some eat it in the middle,
and some save it for last as a treat.

I think there are also people
whose timing changes depending on their mood.

By the way, for me,
it changes depending on the situation.

The sweetness of the sponge and cream,
the balance with what I'm drinking with it,
or whether it's after a meal or as a snack...

Depending on the conditions when I eat it,
the timing of when I want to eat it
actually changes quite a bit. Haha

If I were to eat one soon,
I'm thinking I might try the method
like Riku and Natsumi from the Sunday Theater 'Reboot' that aired until recently,
where you eat it starting from the stem side.

▶ The sense of discomfort when you feel like 'the correct answer has been decided'

I've been asked about this topic a few times.

And every time, I answer,
'I guess it depends on when I'm eating it,'

but the response I get is usually the same.

'It's okay to eat the things you like first.'

Those were the words.

Certainly, I think that is one way of looking at it.

However,
'Hmm... it's not that I'm holding back...'
I felt like something was
a little bit off.

▶ Context is also necessary for judgment

This question is sometimes used
like a little
psychological test, isn't it?

It might be looking at things like
proactiveness or hunger.

That is precisely why

the phrase "It's okay to eat what you like first"

can also be meaningful
as a way to give yourself
permission.

▶ However, something that bothered me a little

However, what I felt was

a sense of being pushed toward
"which one is the correct answer."

In reality,
even though you should have been choosing
based on your own feelings at the time,

before you know it,
you find yourself wavering slightly,
thinking, "Is it better to eat it first?"

At that moment, I realized I was about to choose "correctness"
over my own feelings.

▶ Accepting your own feelings as they are

The timing of when to eat the strawberry
should originally be something very free.

You can eat it first.
You can leave it until the end.
You can change it based on your mood at the time.

That is precisely why,

accepting your own feelings—
the question of "what do I want to do?"—just as they are.

Such small, repeated actions
may lead to trust in
the "self that makes choices."

▶ How do you want to eat it?

When it comes to the strawberry on a shortcake,
at what point do you want to eat it?

There is no right answer to that.

It might be nice to try eating it
at a different time than usual.

It might also be nice to eat it starting from the stem side.

Taking a moment to look at
your "current feelings" like that.

I would be happy if this could be an opportunity for that.

Until next time.

Thank you for reading this article
to the end.

▼ Contact us here ▼
I want to be a place where we can look at your "quiet, true feelings" together.
When you need to, please reach out from here.

I have also organized other articles by theme based on feelings.
If there is one that matches how you are feeling right now,
please feel free to take a look here.
▼　　　　　▼　　　　　▼