What I am grateful to my parents for at 21 years old
Hello,
In this article, I’d like to share what I am grateful to my parents for as a 21-year-old intern.
This is a must-read for those wondering, "What makes kids happy?" or "What kind of feelings do children have towards their parents?"
Since this is my personal perspective, please enjoy it as a reference!
Childhood Things I Did:
- Rhythmic gymnastics (Rhythmic music activities)
I think I started when I was about 1 year old. My mom took me to a private music school where she was learning. I still don’t have a great sense of rhythm, though (laughs).
One benefit of rhythmic gymnastics is that it can improve concentration. When moving your body to the rhythm of music, you need to focus to distinguish different sounds, which is effective as a training exercise for concentration.
I think I’m good at concentrating. For example, I can read for half a day without getting distracted (laughs).
I remember enjoying rhythmic gymnastics with my parents. From my perspective, it probably helped in building good communication and relationships with my parents (I often went out with my mom, almost like friends, and we were very close).
- Swimming
It wasn’t really swimming but more like water play at a swimming school. Because of this, I didn’t have a fear of water, and I think I didn’t have any issues with baths either!
When I was in kindergarten, I remember going to a short-term swimming school. After entering elementary school, I took lessons at a local swimming school.
The only sport I was good at, despite being uncoordinated, was swimming!
I’m really glad I could swim. I may not have been great at it, but I think it’s a good skill to have. Even if it’s not swimming, I want my future children to try some kind of sport-related activity.
I would tell my parents that it was great to go to swimming school when I was young, as it helps overcome fears of water (like not being able to dive). I think it’s hard to overcome such fears as we get older (laughs).
Things I Wish I Had Done:
When I was in middle and high school, there were things I wished I had done.
But looking back now, I realize I was actually quite fortunate, and most of it was just wishing for things I didn’t have.
For example, I’ve always been attracted to traditional Japanese culture, and I wish I had learned to play a Japanese instrument like the koto when I was younger
I also thought it would have been nice to learn a portable instrument, like the violin. I played the electone, which was good, but it was hard to play casually with friends or take it anywhere.
However, even as an adult, I can still learn these things, right? I hope to focus on things that might become special skills or hobbies that I can deeply engage in.
But there’s one thing I really wish I had done when I was younger: "English conversation."
I’m not good at pronunciation, and I didn’t have an "ear" for English, so I struggle with it. I wonder if things would have been different if I had started learning English when I was younger.
Things I’m Grateful for from My Parents:
I’m really grateful that I’m able to live without any struggles now and that my parents allowed me to choose the path I wanted. Here are some specific things I’m especially thankful for.
- Childhood Video Recordings
Since I’m the first child, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom while my dad had weekends off, my parents loved traveling, so we went out a lot. I’m really grateful that they filmed these moments and made DVDs of them.
It’s hard to remember much from my early childhood, right? I can’t share memories like, "We went here," or "We did this" with my parents.
But my parents recorded everything on video, so I can share these memories with them. I guess part of it is that I really enjoy watching home videos (laughs).
Now, I’m not sure if the memories are from the videos or if they are my actual memories. It’s a peaceful dilemma (laughs).
- Extracurricular Activities
As mentioned earlier, I’m thankful my parents let me take extracurricular lessons. I believe that activities like these are beneficial in some way and become assets. They provide memorable experiences and can become great stories to share.
But I’d like to tell myself, "You should’ve taken it more seriously and made it a strong memory!" I really wanted to be able to proudly say that playing the electone is my special skill.
- Letter from My Mom at Graduation
My middle school years were the most difficult time of my life, and I’m sure they were hard for my parents as well. That’s why I was so happy to receive a letter from my mom. It was a way for me to understand her true feelings.
It was especially touching because my middle school graduation day didn’t go well, so I cried even more (laughs).
I still treasure that letter and keep it safe.
Conclusion:
I’m the type of person who values memories, so I’m really happy to have things like "letters" and "photos/videos" to look back on.
I recommend taking photos and videos for your children, too, so they can look back on them in the future! If possible, it might be nice to add a little note to those memories, as it would bring warmth to the heart.