I want to see my parents. But I don't have the time. Me as a mother, and me as a daughter

Golden Week.
For the first time in a while, I went to visit my parents at my childhood home.

It's about a two-hour drive away.
But I don't usually manage to go very often.

Raising children, working, doing housework.
I'm already at my limit just keeping up with daily life.
The 'time to see my parents as a daughter' is something that always gets pushed to the back burner.

However, when I arrive at my parents' house and see their faces,
I always think, 'I'm glad I came.'

When we meet, it's always fun.

'It's been a while, hasn't it?'
'How have you been lately?'
As we say that, we start drinking tea and talking.

Talking about the house, work, and the children's growth.
There's nothing particularly special, but
the time spent in lively conversation is comforting.

It's been two months, but we can immediately go back to how things used to be.
I thought to myself, family is a wonderful thing.

Today, I will talk about what I thought when I returned to my parents' home during Golden Week.

My daily life as a wife and mother

In my daily life, I spend my time as a wife and a mother.
In the morning, I make breakfast, take the kids to daycare,
and when I get home, it's laundry, tidying up, and putting the kids to bed.

Before I knew it, 'me as a daughter'
felt like it had been tucked away somewhere deep inside.

Going back to my parents' home had also become an 'event'.
I have to make time to go.
While I kept putting it off like that,
the days and months just kept slipping by.

My parents' changing appearance

This time, there was something that bothered me a little.

My parents looked a little tired.
They didn't say it out loud, but I could feel their age.

'Let's go to Atami.'
The conversation about that had also faded away before I knew it.
'Maybe next time' just drifts away before you know it.

Huh?
Maybe there aren't that many 'next times' after all.
When I thought that, my heart gave a little sting.

I want to cherish 'me' as a daughter, too

People have many different roles.
For me, too, my daily life as a wife and mother is the priority.

But that is exactly why I think:
I want to cherish 'me as a daughter' as well.

When I think about the parting that will come someday,
I want to see them while I can.
I want to laugh with them while I can.

Even if it's just for two hours, seeing them warms my heart.
Having people like that in my life is surely a blessing.

'I'll come again.'
'Next time, let's stay overnight.'
Saying that, I headed home.

There are many things I want to do, but
I want to include the time spent with my parents among them.

I will try to remember 'me as a daughter' little by little.
That was the kind of holiday it was.

Thank you for reading this far.

May your day be a wonderful one.