The Day My Daughter Gained Another 'Place to Call Home'

The day of the fireworks festival.

This year, just like every year, our family went to Grandma and Grandpa's house—my mother and father's place.

Although we gathered for the day to watch the fireworks, what stayed with me most wasn't the fireworks themselves.

It was my daughter.

At Grandma and Grandpa's house in the past, she always seemed a bit reserved.

She wanted to be spoiled, but perhaps she still felt a little bit like a 'guest'.

But this day was different.

'I want to eat this.'
'Read that book to me.'

She spoke exactly what was on her mind.

Seeing her so natural, I felt, 'Oh, this house has truly become a place where my daughter feels safe.'

And then, there was another incident that made me laugh out loud.

My daughter was sharing her own little 'secret' with Grandma and Grandpa.

Seeing that, I couldn't help but ask,

'Wait, are you sure you should be telling them that?'

I asked.

Then, with a slightly proud look on her face, my daughter said this:

'Grandma and Grandpa are special, so it's okay.'

I couldn't help but laugh at those words.

In my daughter's heart, Grandma and Grandpa had become people she felt she could safely share her secrets with.

We watched the fireworks from the third floor of Grandma and Grandpa's house.

We all sat down for dinner together, and afterwards, we walked to where the food stalls were.

It was a very hot day.

Even though my daughter said, 'I can't walk anymore,' she did a great job walking on her own two feet.

She has grown bigger, and the things she can do have increased.

It was a day where I felt that growth.

Before I became a parent, my 'parents' home' was the place I could return to.

But after becoming a parent, I realized that for a child, the number of 'places to call home' continues to grow.

A place where they can honestly say 'I want to eat this' and where there are people they can entrust with secrets, saying 'This is just between us.'

A place where they can feel safe to rely on others and be their true selves.

I think it is a very happy thing that such places continue to increase, one by one.

The scene that stayed with me the most at this year's fireworks festival wasn't the night sky, but the sight of my daughter smiling with a look of relief.

The day my daughter gained another 'place to call home'.

For me, too, it became an unforgettable summer day.

Thank you for reading this far.
May your day be a wonderful one.