Parent and Child Time: Fire, Water, Bamboo, and Stone Walls

Hello.
My name is Mountain Mouth Mercy.

Today, in the morning,
I spent time with my son Taiyo Nakatani (5th grade).

Together, we cleaned and cared for the entrance of Yatsuryu Shrine.

■We put tea into our water bottles

and walked slowly to the shrine side by side.
Taiyo’s job was simple.

He carried bamboo.
Brown bamboo and green bamboo.
Next to the stone wall, a river was flowing.

Between the river and the stone wall,
we stacked the bamboo and made a fire.
Fire, water, bamboo, and stone walls.

In the cold winter air,
I naturally said,
“Today feels warm.”

We walked slowly on a road covered with falled leaves,
holding hands,
and carried the bamboo one by one to the trees.

Because it had been a long time since Taiyo worked like this,
at first, he was a little scared of the fire
and gently threw the bamboo.

But little by little,
he got used to it.
Then his playful heart, like when he was younger, appeared.

What happens if you poke the water with bamboo?
What happens if you put bamboo into the fire?
What happens if you put burning bamboo into the river?

Taiyo’s curiosity kept growing and growing.
Watching him,
old memories quietly came back to me.
Things only a parent and child can do.

On this island,
while taking care of a place that has been loved for a long time,
we talked and worked together.

“Taiyo, please take this bamboo to the fire place,”
I said.

Then he replied,
“This bamboo looks interesting!”
It was green bamboo with a little bamboo grass on it.

When he put the bamboo into the fire,
it looked just like fishing.
“It’s like fire fishing,” I said.
Taiyo’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

When the wind blew,
the smoke came toward him.
He shrank his body a little,
but he was smiling and enjoying it.

Crackle…
Bang!
The sound of the bamboo exploding
was just like firecrackers.

The sound echoed,
the heat spread,
and it became a real, natural life experience.

I felt that this parent and child time
lit a new fire in our hearts.
“Bachibachi!” “Bang!”

Taiyo laughed and threw the bamboo.
This is time only a parent and child can have.

Fire, water, and stone walls.
It was truly a wonderful time.

“Let’s do this together again when we have time,” I said.
“Yes. Next time, I want to do it with my friends too,” he answered.

That conversation
is my greatest treasure.

Gratitude, thank you, chain of happiness
Yamaguchi Furusato Ambassador
Mountain Mouth Mercy

#parentchildtime #familymoments #learningfromnature #fireandwater #bamboowork #japaneselife #childhoodmemories #gratitude #localculture