子育てにはピグミー族みたいな村がほしい

30人くらいいただろうか?子どもたちは大きなスクリーンの前に、小さな木の椅子を持っていき、好きな人と好きなように集まって映画「リメンバーミー」を観ている。

隣では、体育コーナーに作れた即席コートで、大人たちによる本気のバレーボールが繰り広げられられていた。

お酒も手伝ってか大盛り上がりする父や母と、真剣にスクリーンに食い入る子どもたち。私はその両方の空間の真ん中で、寝落ちした息子を抱えてこの場の空気を感じていた。

カオス感が心地よかった。

 

3泊4日。毎年夏に行われるトモエ幼稚園一大イベント「トモエ家族キャンプ」。

敷地内に家族それぞれテントを張り泊まり込み、子どもたちは文字通り朝から晩まで遊び倒す。園舎のまわりがグルッとテント村になり、昼まで寝ている人もそこから出勤して行く人もいた。

朝、5時半ぐらいから外でサッカーしてる声が聞こえてたけど、遅くまで起きてた孝介は夜中3時に園舎でカードゲームした小学生に会ったって言ってたっけ。あの小学生たちはきっと徹夜してたに違いない。

そこにいる人たちみんなが、大概寝不足で言葉にならない高揚感があるトモエキャンプ。

初日から、打ち上げ花火が上がり、小学生たちはこの日のために花火を手作りする。キャンプファイヤーのまわりをぐるりと囲んだ手作り花火の輪がなんとも幻想的だった。

翌日は、スタッフによる縁日。お手製の射的にくじ引き、スタッフ?と思ったら卒園した中高生が戻ってきて手伝ってたりして。彼らが「やべー。何年ぶり?なつかしくね?」なんて気さくに立ち話してるのがいい感じだった。

夜は、有志のお母さんがケニアとセネガル人のジャンベ奏者を呼んで、アフリカンダンス。大人も子どもも太鼓に合わせてぐるぐる回りながら、汗だくで、叩いて、踊って、唄った。

全部で18個のスイカを割り、汗はプールで流し、ご飯は気の合う仲間とそれぞれBBQ。

かき氷屋、薪ピザ屋、手作りソーセージ&ビール、スナックみどり…父や母たちが子どもたちが楽しいよう、自分たちが楽しいよう、様々なお店を出していて。買う人と作る人が、ハッピーハッピーで回る。

初参加だった私たちも、携帯を開く暇すら全然なくて。その瞬間瞬間を生きるのにせいいっぱいだった。


娘は頭の上であがる打ち上げ花火に、ギャン泣きしていたし

孝介は体中、虫に刺されて大変そうだったし

私と息子は、30度超える炎天下の中で、胸の谷間に汗をだくだくかきながらの授乳は地獄だったけど

言葉にならない「生きてる!」がそこにはあった。シャッターチャンスはいくらでもあったはずなのに、写真や動画がほとんどないってのが、今を生きてた何よりの証拠だ。

娘は、今まで一度も遊んだことにない友だちに突然「大好きだよー!」と告白され急激に距離を縮め、大好きな友だちがまた一人できた。

そうやって、どんどん彼女の世界が広がっていった。いや、あたしたち、大人も。

時にはバレーボールのチームになり、一緒に火を起こし、テントを張り、共同作業をすることで、距離感を知り、関係性が深まる。一緒にいるのが心地よくなる。自分たちの役割も見えてくる。

みんながなんとなく暮らしていて

それぞれなんとなく補間し合っていて

自分の好きを見つけて

その瞬間瞬間を楽しんでいる。

赤ちゃんから、大人まで

どんどん刺激し合って成長していく。

昨年、つがいの家に泊まりにきたミュージシャンの「あふりらんぽ」のPIKAから聞いたアフリカのピグミー族の話がふと頭をよぎった。彼女は現地ガイドですら訪れない、奥地のピグミー族の村で1ヶ月も寝食を共にした経験を話してくれたっけ。川でウォータードラムをして遊ぶ子どもたちや、みんなで狩りをし食事を作り、毎晩月明かりの中で歌い踊るピグミーたちの話。

「ああ、ピグミーの村って、きっとこういう感じなんだろうなぁ」

子育てには、こんな村がみんなにあったらいいんだね。

shishidochika

View Comments

  • A lot of thanks for each of your labor on this web page. My mother really likes making time for internet research and it's really easy to see why. A number of us learn all regarding the compelling medium you render priceless things by means of the website and in addition welcome contribution from other people on the article so our favorite girl is undoubtedly learning a great deal. Take pleasure in the rest of the new year. Your carrying out a superb job.

  • I would like to convey my passion for your kindness for men and women that have the need for help on this particular study. Your real commitment to getting the solution all through ended up being particularly informative and have usually made ladies much like me to realize their objectives. Your new important tutorial entails so much a person like me and even more to my office workers. Best wishes; from everyone of us.

  • I am just commenting to make you understand of the impressive encounter our princess gained viewing your blog. She picked up several issues, most notably what it's like to have an excellent teaching character to get men and women with ease fully grasp selected impossible topics. You undoubtedly did more than visitors' expectations. I appreciate you for distributing these essential, safe, explanatory and also fun tips about this topic to Evelyn.

  • I wish to show appreciation to this writer just for rescuing me from this particular situation. Right after exploring through the the net and coming across recommendations that were not productive, I thought my life was gone. Being alive minus the approaches to the difficulties you've resolved by way of your entire guide is a serious case, as well as those which may have adversely affected my career if I had not come across your web blog. Your own mastery and kindness in touching everything was important. I am not sure what I would've done if I hadn't come across such a solution like this. I can at this point look ahead to my future. Thanks very much for this high quality and amazing guide. I won't think twice to endorse your web blog to anyone who wants and needs support about this situation.

  • I happen to be commenting to let you know what a perfect discovery our girl found browsing your web site. She picked up some details, most notably how it is like to possess a wonderful teaching character to make many people quite simply grasp specified specialized issues. You truly did more than my expectations. Thanks for presenting the practical, trusted, edifying and fun tips on that topic to Jane.

  • I wanted to compose you a tiny note just to say thanks over again for your exceptional thoughts you've shown above. It was simply generous of people like you in giving openly exactly what numerous people could have marketed as an electronic book in order to make some bucks for themselves, primarily given that you might have tried it if you considered necessary. Those creative ideas also served to be the easy way to know that someone else have a similar passion much like my very own to grasp more in terms of this issue. I'm sure there are a lot more enjoyable instances up front for those who read through your website.

  • A lot of thanks for all your valuable effort on this web site. My mom loves working on investigation and it is obvious why. My spouse and i notice all about the lively tactic you give very important tips and hints on the website and in addition recommend contribution from other individuals on the issue and our favorite girl is in fact becoming educated so much. Take advantage of the rest of the new year. You're doing a superb job.

  • I wanted to post you that bit of observation to help thank you over again just for the striking pointers you have shown in this article. It has been quite strangely open-handed of people like you giving unhampered what numerous people would have marketed for an electronic book to make some dough on their own, even more so since you might well have done it in case you desired. These suggestions likewise worked to become fantastic way to be aware that many people have a similar desire like my very own to figure out many more in respect of this issue. I am sure there are millions of more pleasant situations ahead for those who find out your blog.

  • I simply needed to say thanks again. I do not know what I might have gone through without the actual tactics documented by you about such a subject. It was before a fearsome problem in my view, however , witnessing a professional mode you handled the issue forced me to jump with joy. I'm just happier for this support and thus have high hopes you really know what a powerful job you're carrying out instructing many others with the aid of a web site. More than likely you haven't met any of us.

  • I precisely had to appreciate you all over again. I do not know what I would have sorted out without the entire methods revealed by you about such problem. It was before a challenging circumstance for me, however , noticing your professional tactic you dealt with that forced me to jump with contentment. I am just happy for the advice and in addition have high hopes you realize what a powerful job your are accomplishing educating people using your webpage. I'm certain you've never got to know any of us.

Recent Posts

2023年アフィリエイトで稼いだ金額

マムシの暮らし というブログを…

1か月 ago

sorareは本当に稼げるのか、ここ1ヶ月の売買収支を公開

ブログでも公開していたのですが…

10か月 ago

2022年執筆数を振り返る

2022年にブログ「マムシの暮…

1年 ago

【番からのお知らせ】問い合わせフォームを無くしました

明けましておめでとうございます…

1年 ago

ブログ『マムシの暮らし』11月の人気記事

11月についてはブログの運営を…

1年 ago

ブログ『マムシの暮らし』10月の人気記事

11月に入りました。なんだかあ…

1年 ago