The countdown has already begun — The day I shed tears at her first recital
Her first recital
The other day, my daughter had her first recital, and my wife and I went to watch it, feeling nervous and excited.
My daughter had been practicing diligently every single day for over a month. She would dance whenever she had a chance—in the living room, at the park, at the supermarket, even at Costco. Seeing her like that was just unbearably cute. Watching her dance with all her might in that tiny body made my heart ache with emotion time and time again.
Then came the day of the performance. My wife burst into tears seeing our daughter dancing with all her heart on stage. Thinking about how she was just a baby until recently and now she's grown up so much... it almost made me cry too.
I could tell she was looking around for her mom and dad while she danced. And the moment she spotted us, her face lit up with a huge smile, and she waved at us enthusiastically.
My shy childhood self
At that moment, for some reason, I remembered the class observations from when I was in elementary school. I was a shy kid, and from about third grade, I started feeling embarrassed about my parents coming, so I wouldn't even talk to my mother when she showed up. Thinking about it now, I want to say, 'Mom, I'm sorry.' I'm sure a day like that will come for my daughter, too. A day when she feels embarrassed that Mom and Dad are there. That day probably isn't in the distant future; it's right around the corner.
That's exactly why I want to enjoy every moment with her to the fullest right now.
I want to burn that smile and that waving gesture into my memory.
Wait... how long will she keep doing this for us?
I suddenly wondered, 'What else can I only do right now?' and looked up some age estimates.
[Being carried] 0-3 years old (6 years old at the latest)
[Sleeping together] 0-6 years old (9 years old at the latest)
[Bathing together] 0-6 years old
[Holding hands] 0-6 years old (9 years old at the latest)
[Reading picture books] 0-6 years old
[Family trips] 3-15 years old
[Period of needing parents completely] 0-6 years old (12 years old at the latest)
[Living together] 0-18 years old
[Going to the park together] 0-9 years old
......You've got to be kidding me? Wait a second... The countdown has already started, hasn't it...
“I can't be saying things like, 'I'm tired today, so let's do hugs another time.' I can't be saying, 'The park? Let's go another time.'
I want to properly savor and cherish this time that we only have now. Knowing that it is 'finite' not just as a feeling, but as a number, really hits home.
That is exactly why I will face my daughter with all my might, today and tomorrow. Because this very moment will surely become a lifelong treasure.