Finding Peace in the Little Moments
I was going about my day as usual, running errands, and finishing up work, and just when I thought I was done, I decided to pause for a moment and reflect on what had happened. This week has been full of goodbyes, and as I suspected, it’s been emotional. Sometimes, the hardest part about getting close to your students is knowing that when it’s time to move on, someone’s going to feel the sting of separation. And today, three of my boys cried after I gave my final speech to the class and handed them their handwritten messages. I was surprised. It’s not typical for Japanese boys, especially, to show such emotion. But in that moment, I thought, “I’m sad, but seeing them like this shows I’ve done something good for them. I’m lucky to have had them as my students.”
After such an emotional day, I headed home, still with a few things to do for the house and myself. After all, tomorrow is another day. But by the time I wrapped everything up, I felt good, like I’d taken care of everything I needed to. I decided to go for an outdoor walk before taking a bath, and as I stepped outside, I told myself, “Ah, this is nice. I’m finally following through on the goal I set for myself yesterday.”
The cool evening breeze greeted me as I stepped outside. The sky was clear, and it was a beautiful night. As I walked, I thought, “If only every day could be this smooth. If I finish my tasks early, I’ll have more time for myself.” And right then, I decided that’s going to be my mini-goal from now on: to keep finding a balance between work and relaxation.
After my relaxing bath, I got ready for bed. But just as I was about to close my eyes, I felt a headache coming on. Then I realized, it’s hay fever season here. As I scratched my nose, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself and think, “Oh well, you can’t have everything!”
