今日はけんたがいた乳児院で懇親パーティー。
毎年伺っていますが、引き取りはじめの頃は、けんたが保育士さんにどんな態度をするのか、ちょっと不安もありました。実際、3歳のころは、まだかつての担当保育士さんに抱っこされたりしていたし、それも仕方ないなあと思いつつ、複雑な気持ちでした。
でも、「時間よ、帰ろうか。」と言うと、後ろも見ないで、さっさと私と帰路について、「良かった。やっぱりけんたのお家はパパとママのところなんだわ。」と安心したり．．．そんな風に、だんだん親子として、家族として自信をつけていったのです。
けんたは、乳児院での記憶はほとんどありませんが、担当の保育士さんの名前は覚えていて、少し前までは、「ぼく、会いたいな。大きくなったところを見せたいな。」なんて話していました。だんだん口にすることも減りましたが…。
今朝、担当の保育士さん宛てに手紙を書きました。
「おげんきですか。８歳になりました。けんた」
保育士さんは「けんちゃんからお手紙いただいちゃった。漢字も書いてある…お兄ちゃんになったのね。」と感激してくれました。
けんたは保育士さんに生後1ヶ月からずっと大切に大切に育ててもらっていました。けんたはだんだん忘れてしまうかもしれないけど、ここまで成長できたのは、乳児院での保育士さん達の関わりがあったこと、伝えていきたいなと思っています。
Today was the cherry-blossom viewing party at the infant-home where Kenta was accommodated before.
I make a regular visit there with Kenta every year. When he got out of the home, we were a little worried about how he would behave toward the child-care specialist. In fact, when he was 3 years old, I remember he was still hugged by this specialist in charge, and I felt it couldn't be helped, and I was with the mixed emotion then.
Well, I said " Time is up, let's get back home. " Surprisingly, he didn't look back and we were on the way back home....Then, I said to myself " I was relieved to know that Kenta's home sure enough belongs where his Papa and mama are available at hand"....We were, as the parents and the child, gradually becoming confident of building the family structure in this way.
Kenta had only a vague memory about his infant-home, but he remembers his child-care specialist in charge by her name, and he used to say..."I would like to see her and want to show off how I grew big"...Now he doesn't talk much about her any more, though.
As we wanted to hand over a letter to the child-care specialist at the cherry-blossom vewing party, I had Kenta write a letter to her....
------"How are you? I became 2nd grader of elementary school...from Kenta"
She was impressed and pleased with the letter...."Wow, I can't believe I got a letter from Kenta ! Even with some Kanji (Chinese characters) in it..Grown up...Not a baby any more".....
Kenta was brought into the infant-home when he was only a month old from birth, and was well taken care by this child-care specialist. Although Kenta will forget about the home as time passes by, I sure want to keep on delivering my messages that, without the help of this specialist and everyone involved, he wouldn't make/come all the way to this point of his growth......