When I was a seventh grader, there was a time I could no longer stop eating sweets. Sweets have many calories and will increase your weight, so most people usually avoid eating them. But I could not stop it because they gave me energy to work my brain actively, they gave me peace and enjoyment, and they fostered a harmonious relationship with my family and my friends. My mother gave me snacks every day, but there was a limit to how much I could eat. It was about the amount of dog food that a dog should eat at lunch. It was hard for me to enjoy it because the time I ate dinner was 8 o'clock, so the interval between lunch and dinner was long and I had club after school, so I was hungrier than someone who did not have club.
One day, I was stressed out from suppressing my desire to eat, and I took action. That action was stealing. I snuck into the laundry room after my parents went to bed. In our home, the laundry room also served as a pantry, and tons of snacks, candy, and soda, like Pepsi, were kept there. I carried some of them to my room and hid them in my desk. I was relieved that I did not have to suppress my desire to eat anymore, and my secret stash of snacks would surely not be found by anyone.
That day I experienced the feeling of being a thief for the first time. But one week later, my mother discovered my stash when she was cleaning my room. Of course, I got in big trouble. She lectured me for one hour.
My mother told me that she was going to explain what happened to my father when he got back home. When I heard that, I wanted the day to end immediately. I broke into a cold sweat from fear. In the end, there was no preaching from my father. My mother wanted to tell me to reflect on what I had done and wanted me to change my behavior by myself, based on the experience.
The next day, I prepared myself for not being able to eat any sweets from then on. I knew it would be hard for me to live my life without them, but there was nothing I could do. However, my mother gave me permission to have sweets. Furthermore, she told me that I could have more sweets than I had been getting. The amount of snacks that I could eat changed to about twice as much as before. I realized that my mother was very kind. She always supports me even when she cannot really meet my terms. For example, she does not like sending luggage because it costs too much. But she allowed me to send my luggage when the summer vacation was over and it was time to return to the school dormitory. The day I had to return it was raining, so she was concerned about my physical condition. I noticed that this is what is meant by "blood is thicker than water". It is a Japanese proverb that means relatives' bonds are stronger than any other, and they are reliable.
Human beings are always living according to rules. If you do not follow the rules of society, you will be isolated from society, and you can no longer live your life. So there are rules of society, such as the Constitution and laws to prevent illegal behavior. Also, I learned that in order to achieve the life that you desire, you have to consider when, what, where, and how you behave and act.
Sweets are eaten by children who have them at 3 o'clock, by adults who have them for tea time, on special occasions such as Christmas cakes, and in many more times and places. Playing sports is fun because we follow the rules. In the same way, eating sweets is wonderful if you eat a limited amount. Limiting your freedom can stress you out, but sometimes you need limits to make yourself stronger.
Child Research Net would like to thank the Doshisha International Junior/Senior High School and Ikumi Nishimura, student and author, for permitting reproduction of this article on the CRN web site.
