A story about how my child's 'hello' made me realize the kindness in this world

Thank you for reading. (A grateful prostration)
I'm shiiimo, a mother of 5.

Lately, I feel like it's suddenly started to feel like summer.
Even this morning, strong sunlight poured into the room early on,
announcing that the arrival of morning has come earlier.

The older twin is way too much of a morning person.
“Everyone~! It’s morning~~!!!”
he says, waking up with an explosion of freshness.
The time was 5:23 AM.

““Give us a break...””

Last night, my husband and I were writhing in hangovers because we drank too much while simulating my post-maternity leave routine over and over. (Why did we do that while chugging red wine?)

“Well then, big brother is going ahead now~~”

Having just shouted that out,
the older twin trots down the stairs.
Going down to the living room all by himself
doesn't seem to be a problem for him at all.

While being swallowed by another wave of sleepiness,
“Really, the sound of his footsteps going down the stairs is so ‘trot-trot,’ it’s so cute...”
is what shiiimo was thinking... (Wake up!)

The older twin who says “hello” to everyone

Currently, we have 5 children in our home.
As of now, from the oldest, they are 8, 7, 4, 4, and 1 years old.
The twins will be turning 5 soon.

“I wanted to take a day off from daycare today~~”
“Come pick me up early~~”

While lazily watching YouTube,
the twins were complaining again this morning while clutching their slices of bread.
I want them to get used to the pace of going to daycare 5 days a week before I return to work, but it's quite difficult.
I mean, 5 days a week is busy, right? I get it.

Even though I understand how they feel, I have to take drastic measures for the sake of the future...

“Well, it can't be helped. This is a secret from the eldest and second daughter, but...”
shiiimo takesthe ultimate weapon, “Chupa Chups,”out from the back of the refrigerator.

“Yay~~!! I love these!! The delicious ones!!”
“I love you, Mommy!! You’re the best!”

And so, the twins (finally) start getting ready eagerly.
Such opportunistic little guys.
Even though I think that, they’re so cute... Hehe.

(And the set is complete when they immediately start messing around with something else, fall behind schedule, and I end up yelling, “Hurry up or I’m going to eat it!!!!”)

In our neighborhood, the construction of three detached houses is underway.
The foundations and electrical work are finished, and houses similar to ours are steadily being built.
Every morning, large trucks enter the narrow alley.
The workers are running back and forth, working busily.

“Hello~~~!”

Amidst the smell of new lumber,
the older twin says his greeting again today.

“Hello! Have a good day!”

Perhaps because he had gotten a tan at this site,
the tough-looking guy with dark skin
replied immediately while keeping his hands busy.
I don't mean to be rude, but
I was a little surprised by how incredibly cheerful his reply was, contrary to his appearance.

“Hey~~~~!! In front of our house, there was some crow poop!! And then...”

The twin older brother was in a good mood because he got a reply.
Since he was about to start talking again,
I said, "Well, see you later~~~," and pulled him away from the spot.

While I felt bad for bothering them,
the fact that they replied like that...
left a warm feeling in my chest.

My second daughter has autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. She also has a disability certificate.
Perhaps because I have been watching her,
I have a feeling that,the twin older brother also has something, like ADHD or autism.

He says 'hello' to everyone he meets,
he tells people anything and everything that comes to mind,
he moves around even when he's supposed to be sitting still and listening,
and he does exactly what he was just scolded for two seconds later.

There are countless other examples. I have a feeling that borders on certainty.
I am somewhat prepared for the fact that he will likely need to follow the same steps as my second daughter while he is in nursery school.

But, although there are certainly many hardships and worries,
I don't feel a huge shock regarding that fact.
It was the same when it was discovered with my second daughter.

"Hmm, I thought so..."
It was a feeling of 'everything makes sense now.'

Well, for now, let's put that aside.

Even after that.
To a neighborhood mom friend I met at a traffic light,
"Hello!! Look, look~~!! Chupa Chups!!"

To the construction site flagger we passed by,
"Hello~~~. What are you doing?"

To the stern-looking businessman who shared the elevator with us,
"Hello! I'm going to press the button!! Which one should I press!?"

Even though he's my own child,
I think, 'He's amazing...'
This is also part of his personality, so it's something he can't help,
and it's also something that needs to be corrected skillfully in the future.
However, for now, I'm letting him be.

Of course, not everyone replies with a 'hello'.
This morning, to the cleaning lady sweeping in front of the neighborhood apartment building,
"Hello~~~!"
did not reach her. It seemed she probably didn't even hear it.
"...Hello~~~!!"
But even without a reply, he doesn't get discouraged and repeats it about three times.

He doesn't give up...!? (Gulp)

In the end, no 'hello' came back at that moment.
However, he didn't dwell on it,
"Oh, little brother!! The light is green♪"
and he pulled his twin younger brother's hand.

He doesn't care...!? (Gulp)(Never mind)

Like my second daughter,
the twin older brother doesn't care about his surroundings in a good way,
so he is good at switching his mood quickly.
Since his interests shift rapidly anyway,
he might just forget immediately.
But this mindset. I am impressed every time, thinking that adults are the ones who need it.

The public's reaction to the twin older brother's 'hello'

And, this morning, his 'hello' suddenly made me realize something.

Most of the people he speaks to reply with a 'hello' in words,
or with a smile of compassion.

"Hello. You're such a good boy~~"
"Ahaha, did you say that to me? Hello. Thank you."
"Are you twins? How cute~"
"Good job saying hello~"

If I hadn't brought him here.
People who probably wouldn't have even made eye contact.
People who might have even avoided them just by judging based on their appearance,
are looking at the children with smiles.
By the way, if I had all the other children with me too...

"Five children...!? You're amazing, Mom...!!"

I get complimented like that with high probability. (Mother rejoices)

When I turn on the TV, sad news about children inevitably catches my eye.
That's why shiiimo is not good at watching the news.
I only notice the coldness and cruelty of the world,
and I end up feeling pessimistic about my children's future.
Is raising a child in this world and helping them reach adulthood
really this much of a hard mode? I find myself thinking.

However, when I actually walk with them,
I can touch the raw warmth of the world.
There are actually many good people in the world...
Such hope springs up.

"The world is scarier than you think,
there are all kinds of people, and you need to be careful."

I have to tell him that someday.
There are times when I do tell him, but he will surely forget it two seconds later.

But at least, for now.

Everyone in the world is kind,
and if you say hello, everyone will smile back at you.

With him, who believes that,
I think I'll hold his hand and walk a little further.
Because I'm sure we'll meet kind people.

Saying such idealistic things,
on the way home again today.
shiiimo will probably get angry, won't I.
Sorry, twin brother.
But you're so cute, damn it.

Thank you for taking your precious time to read this.
Thank you for your hard work.
May you all have a smile on your faces tomorrow, too.