If Only My Day Were Like This—Ideal: Waking Up at 4 AM, Reality: Hitting Snooze

I'm going to participate in this personal project that Ito is hosting!
The theme, of course, is—

#IfOnlyMyDayWereLikeThis

I've stitched together the moments in my daily life where I think, "It would be great if I could do this," to paint my own version of an ideal day.

4 AM, My Free Time

My ideal day starts with a slightly reckless early wake-up.
I wake up at 4 AM, and while still stumbling around in a sleepy haze, I brew some herbal tea.
During this time, the house is in "silent mode."
The only thing asserting itself is the refrigerator, humming away.

I sit at my desk to read books or write on note.
While I'm thinking, "What should I write about today?" I realize it's already 5 AM.
—It's time to let the washing machine do its work.

(In my ideal, I wake up at 4 AM. But in reality... I'm often the one turning off the 5 AM alarm and hitting snooze.)

Afternoons Working at the Library, Afternoons Resting with Books

I spend my mornings working at the library.
When a mountain of returned books arrives, it's like a "great flood of books."
But as I organize and shelve them, it feels good to see the library gradually becoming orderly.

Connecting patrons with books and being surrounded by the voices of children.
Sometimes it's hectic, but it's a time when I can truly feel that I am "needed here."

And then, lunch break.
After eating my bento, I want to read a book for at least 15 minutes.
People tease me, saying, "You work at a library, yet you read books during your lunch break too?" but I can't help it.
Because for me, books are like an "energy drink."

Evenings Spent with My Daughter

In the evening, I go to pick up my daughter.
"Mommy! Today, I saw a frog!"
"Mommy! Let's have ice cream for dinner!"

...Yes, yes, that's way too much information.
My motherly brain can't keep up with the leap from frogs to ice cream.

But that full-throttle chatter blows away the day's fatigue.
We eat dinner together, take a bath, and read picture books.
Up to this point, it's peaceful.

The Battle of Bedtime

The problem starts here. Bedtime.

"One more time!" she demands, asking for another picture book.
As I read it reluctantly, my daughter starts doing handstands in the futon before I know it.
I want to point out, "That's not a sleeping pose."

Furthermore, when I say, "If you don't sleep, a ghost will come,"
they reply with a straight face, "Will it come to Mommy's smartphone?" and I have to struggle to hold back my laughter.

Just when I think it's finally quiet... they ask a question that sounds like sleep-talking: "Mommy, what was for dinner tonight again?"
My inner voice: "What are you going to do with that information?"

Evening Free Time

By the time I finish putting them to bed, it's already past 9 PM.
This is when my free time begins.
I write notes, check social media, or read a book.

But honestly, if I'm not careful at night, I get sucked into YouTube's "recommended" videos.
Before I know it, it's not just 11 PM, but past midnight...
My ideal is to get into bed by 11 PM sharp.
(That's the ideal, just the ideal.)

What is an ideal day?

An ideal day isn't a day where I do something special, but rather
a day where "what I want to do" and "what I need to do" are in gentle harmony,
flowing naturally and comfortably.

In the morning, I have quiet time for myself.
During the day, I read a book to reset.
In the evening, I laugh a lot with my daughter.
At bedtime, we laugh until we roll around, but she still falls asleep properly.
At night, I go to sleep by 11 PM.

――If I could do this, I'm sure I could be in a good mood every single day.

In reality, things go a bit off track, or don't go according to plan at all, which is almost funny, but
perhaps even those deviations make for a "good day."

Sincerely, Yoshiki

P.S.: Thank you for reading🌿 I heard that Ito-san might feature this in a summary article, so I'm looking forward to it.