4 March 2024

Another reason why the opening song of the Asian Cup is my favorite.

I've been planning to write and analyze this song for a while now. I adore it, and so does my 7-year-old daughter; we never tire of playing it on repeat. Today, after helping my kids with their schoolwork—my least favorite chore—I played the song on my phone, and my daughter began singing loudly along with it. I noticed her voice was clearly audible; she was obviously enjoying the song and fully living in the moment. I joined in, and we both started dancing, hugging, and swaying together. When we stopped, my little one said she wants to be the first to talk to me tonight before sleep, a ritual I have with my kids to spend 10 minutes with each one after dinner and before bed. Sometimes we skip this chat, but tonight she seemed to have something important to say.

So, when we sat down tonight on the front porch, for a change, because the weather was chilly and pleasant, I set a timer for 10 minutes. She initially forgot what she wanted to say, but through random conversations, she remembered, and what she said truly brightened my life. She first said, "Thank you for raising us," making it the second time she's expressed this gratitude, which makes my heart smile. Then, she shared something genuine and sincere. She said, "You encouraged me." Imagine, a 6.5-year-old acknowledging her mother's encouragement.

She was referring to our singing together. She felt confident to sing loudly with me because of my love and reinforcement. She mentioned that previously, she kept her voice a secret in her heart, but tonight, as she sang with me, that voice came out, and she thanked me for encouraging her.

You can imagine how happy I am. This little one is an angel and truly my sunshine. I always knew talking a lot with my kids was important, but I never realized the reward could be this precious.