Things I Realized on the Day of the Health Checkup

I pick up my son, who is running around the health checkup venue full of energy.
At his 18-month checkup, I was told, "He couldn't point, so we'll follow up on that," and I felt a bit down.
Because he couldn't point, I felt as if my parenting and my son himself hadn't been acknowledged.

I knew it in my head. Children don't all grow at the same speed. I understood that development at this age is full of individual differences.

After getting home, I asked experienced moms on social media, "Is the pointing test something everyone can do?"
It turned out that many people had experienced being spoken to or needing follow-ups at checkups, not just for pointing, but for other things as well.

I felt relieved by those words, and at the same time,
I wondered, "Why was I so depressed about this?"

Looking back, my son has grown so much in just this past year.
His favorite watermelon went from being "Ka!" to "Suika!"
There was a time when he would fling food two meters behind him at every meal, but now he hardly spills anything, and cleanup is over in a flash.
He's also having more days where he can nap on his own. The time he sleeps in one stretch has gotten longer, too.
The time I spend helping him with everything has gradually decreased, and the time we spend playing together has increased.

Because I am by his side every day, those changes have become a matter of course, and perhaps I sometimes overlook his small growth.
At the checkup, my eyes were drawn to the things he "couldn't do yet," but when I think back, there were far more things he "had become able to do."

He has entered the 'terrible twos,' and there are times when I get frustrated with days that don't go as planned.
Even so, the things my child can do are definitely increasing from yesterday to today, and from today to tomorrow.
And perhaps it is not only the child who is growing.
I thought I was the one raising my child, but I think it is actually me who is being raised as a parent, as my patience, observational skills, and ability to express myself are being honed.

Today, too, I take a deep breath.
Tomorrow, I might find one more new "I did it."
A child's growth is not found in special moments, but rather, unexpectedly, in these everyday occurrences.