子どもの誕生日は、
いくつになっても、
少し特別な日。
Birthdays change as children grow.
昨日は、
息子の誕生日だった。
誕生日プレゼントを買いに、
二人で新宿へ出かけた。
There was a time when I chose the presents,
planned the day,
and knew exactly what would make his eyes light up.
ここ何年か、
一緒に行こうと誘っても、
あまり乗り気ではなかった。
買い物にも興味がないし、
ママと二人で出かけるのも、
なんとなく恥ずかしい。
Somewhere along the way,
he grew into a boy with a world of his own.
そんな年頃なんだろうなと、
私も思っていた。
だから今年も、
きっと行かないだろうと思いながら
声をかけた。
So when I asked if he wanted to come with me to Shinjuku
to choose his birthday present,
I was already prepared for a no.
すると、
「行こっかな。」
Instead, he said,
“Maybe I will.”
That was all.
思いがけない返事が
なんだかうれしかった。
But mothers have a funny way
of keeping the smallest words.
二人で新宿を歩いて、
あれこれ見ながら、
誕生日プレゼントを選んだ。
We walked through the city together,
looking here and there,
until a birthday present found its way into a bag.
Nothing remarkable happened.
And maybe that was what made it lovely.
そして、
誕生日会には
何が食べたい？と聞いた。
Later, I asked what he wanted for his birthday dinner.
外に食べに行ってもいいし、
好きなものを買ってきてもいい。
A restaurant?
Something special from his favorite place?
でも返ってきたのは、
「ママのご飯がいい。」
“Your cooking.”
考えるのが
面倒だっただけかもしれない。
それでも、
ママには
うれしい言葉だった。
Another little sentence
I quietly tucked away.
プレゼントの袋を見ながら、
「楽しみ」と言った
その顔も、
Then there was the way he looked at the gift bag.
まだちゃんと
子どもの頃のままで。
For all the growing up he has done,
there was still that familiar light in his face—
the simple happiness of waiting
for something wonderful.
大きくなったなあと
思うことが増えたけれど、
I looked at him and thought about time.
How quietly it moves.
こんな顔を見ると、
やっぱりうれしい。
How a child can be beside you every day,
and still somehow become taller,
older,
more himself.
Perhaps that is why birthdays feel different to a mother.
またひとつ、
大きくなったね。
We celebrate the person our child is becoming,
while carrying every version of them
somewhere inside us.
Yesterday, there were no grand moments.
Just a walk together.
A few ordinary words.
A certain look on his face.
ママのところに
生まれてきてくれて、
本当にありがとう。
Little things,
one after another.
And somehow,
my heart was full.
Happy birthday.
Keep becoming you.
I still can't quite believe
I get to be your mom.