（日本語は後半にあります）
【English】
This morning and afternoon, I went to the elementary school. Tomorrow is the thank-you party, and I was there to help with preparations, such as setting up the venue.
I hardly have any mom friends at the elementary school, but there is one mom I’ve been close with since our kids were in daycare. Last month, she asked me to help with this event. (At that time, she also asked if I could invite any other friends to help, but I had to turn her down, saying, "I don’t have any friends" 😂).
Like with PTA activities and other school-related events, there are never enough volunteers. This thank-you party, too, has been organized by the kind parents who stepped up at the beginning of the school year. Since this will be my elder son's last event in elementary school, I wanted to contribute in any way I could.
The moms who participated all seemed to be friends, chatting happily while working together. Somehow, I just couldn’t blend into their circle. The one and only mom friend couldn’t come today because of work, so I spent the time quietly inflating balloons and making decorations out of origami by myself. Then, a thought struck me—... when I was in my teens or twenties, I used to be afraid of being alone in a group, but now it doesn’t bother me at all 😂 Maybe getting older isn’t so bad after all.
The thank-you party is tomorrow afternoon, but they also asked me to come in the morning for the final setup, so I’ll be heading back again.
By the way, the sun never came out today, and it was such a cold, cold day.
【Japanese】
今日は午前、午後と小学校へ。明日は謝恩会があり、その会場設営など準備を手伝うためでした。
私は小学校にママ友がほとんどいないのですが、保育園のころから仲良くしてもらっているママが一人だけいます。先月、その方から今回のお手伝いの依頼がありました。（その時、他にも手伝ってもらえる友達がいたら声を掛けて欲しいとも言われたのですが、友達いませんと断りました😂）
PTA活動をはじめとする学校関連のイベントはいつも人手が足りず、今回の謝恩会も年度初めに立候補してくれた親切な人たちによって準備が進められています。長男に関しては小学校生活最後のイベントですし、少しでも役に立てればと思い。
参加しているママたちは皆友達同士なのか、和気あいあいと作業していました。何となく、その輪には入れず。私の唯一のママ友は仕事で今日は来られなかったため、私は一人で黙々と風船を膨らませたり、折り紙で飾りを作ったりしていたのですが、ふと思いました・・・昔（10代、20代のころ）は集団の中でひとりになるのが怖かったのですが、もはや何とも思わなくなったなと😂歳を取るのも悪くないかも、と思ったのでした。謝恩会は明日午後ですが、午前中の最終セッティングも来て欲しいと言われたので、明日また行きます。
それにしても陽が射さず、寒い寒い一日でした。
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Good luck on that Thank You party! I imagine the awkwardness while you're in there making decorations and all. But i'll be like you too if ever I got invited in there, i'll be the quiet one living in my own world whilw doing my thing🙉.
Thanks!
It's cool how you say “the quiet one living in my own world while doing my thing”. I'll think of myself that way from now on🙂🙂🙂