Even if things don't go as planned, you can create happiness—A rainy day picnic

The day we were supposed to go on a picnic.

The plans were ruined by rain, but my daughter was smiling.

It seems what was important to her wasn't 'playing outside,' but the bento box filled with her favorite side dishes.

Even on days that don't go as planned, you can still create happiness.

I felt like my child taught me that.

My daughter's excitement the day before, and a mother's anxiety

Since the day before, my daughter had been saying over and over, 'I want to have a picnic at the park tomorrow!'

She seemed so excited that she even gave me detailed requests for what to put in her bento.

But I was anxious after checking the weather forecast.
It was going to rain tomorrow. And it looked like it would be a real downpour.

'It might rain tomorrow, you know.'
'We might not be able to go to the park.'
I tried telling her that, but my daughter wouldn't budge, insisting, 'I want to have a picnic' and 'I want to eat a bento.'

Realizing how much she was looking forward to it, I decided to wake up at 5 a.m. to prepare the bento just in case.

I wanted to eat outside if possible, but I thought I should at least have something ready even if we couldn't go.

A rainy morning and my daughter's words

The next morning.
My daughter quietly pulled back the curtain to look outside.
The sky was gloomy.
Outside, it was indeed pouring rain.

When I said, 'It's raining, isn't it,' my daughter said in a slightly dejected voice, 'I wonder if we can't eat our bento...'

I replied.
'I've already prepared the bento, you know.'

In that instant, my daughter's face lit up.
'Yay! Then let's have a picnic inside the room!' she said with a smile.

Oh, I see.
The most important thing to my daughter wasn't going outside.
I realized it was eating her favorite bento.

Playing picnic and our bento for two

I left the task of packing the bento box to my daughter.

Carrots cut into rabbit shapes, mini omelet rice, fried chicken, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and meatballs.

'Should we put this in too?' 'Let's put more of this in!' she said happily as she packed it.

Even the carrots she usually dislikes seemed to make her happy because they were in cute shapes, and she put them in herself.

A bento you pack yourself really is special, isn't it?

We didn't use a picnic mat; it was just a picnic game with placemats laid out on the table.
Even so, for the two of us, it truly became a 'special day.'

Important things reside in days that don't go as planned

When raising children, things rarely go as planned.
Even if you make plans, they fall apart.
Even if you prepare, sometimes it doesn't pay off.

But I thought today:
'Even if things don't go as planned, you can create happiness.'

In fact, the smiles found within broken plans,
and the casual interactions, might be what stay in our hearts.

A rainy day picnic game.
It was just that, but
I'm sure I will remember this day forever.

Thank you for reading this far.

May your day be a wonderful one.