I tried putting the path of love into practice

 I’ve realized that loving others is the right path.


So, let’s put that into practice right away.


And the first person to catch my eye was...


There she was: my wife.


Hey, why not my wife? She’s a real person, after all. Besides, we started out as total strangers with no blood ties—she’s just another human being, just like anyone else.


Mind you, she’s a pretty tough opponent. She flies off the handle at the drop of a hat.


"You know, Mom, you get hysterical over the tiniest things and snap instantly. You’re a total 'landmine'—the kind of woman who’s a walking disaster waiting to explode. I’d never want a girlfriend like you! I feel sorry for Dad."


My son actually said that to her the other day. She was understandably shocked; her jaw dropped, and she stood there dumbfounded for a moment.


"Well said, son."


I was right there, slapping the table and laughing my head off. It was incredibly satisfying.


This woman speaks a rather unique dialect. Whenever an anniversary approaches, she’ll point at some piece of jewelry and say:


"You want to buy it for me, right ?"


Isn't that phrasing a bit odd?


Just the other day, she was scrolling through—Ameba Blog or something like that—and whenever she found a shop she liked, she’d shove it in my face and say:


" You want me to go with you, don't you?"


Huh? I hadn't even asked her out yet. It’s like she operates on a completely different linguistic system than normal humans. "Tsundere-speak"? "Tsundere syntax"?


Her favorite woman—or rather, her role model—is...


"Marie Antoinette!"


Well, she is a huge Takarazuka fan (Japanes women-only theater production), after all. So, is her ideal man Louis XVI? Meanwhile, I’m a guy who believes in Buddhist teachings and prides himself on "knowing contentment"—the idea that luxury is the enemy... or close to it.


If we were on a dating app, we’d never be a match. So why are we married? I don't know either. But thanks to me—the guy who preaches "knowing contentment"—our very own Marie Antoinette has managed to avoid meeting her end at the guillotine. When the two of us—husband and wife—combine our traits, the pluses and minuses cancel each other out, resulting in a state of "golden mean" balance. Is that true? Probably.


I set out to fulfill my mission of practicing the path of love and bringing happiness to others, but a formidable foe appeared right off the bat. It was practically...


Mission Impossible!


Was I defeated immediately? The bar was set too high. Anyway, I went to the shop my wife insisted on visiting.


Ta-da!





This is a Hawaiian café at the next station over. Their signature pancake—1,690 yen!


Is that Mount Sumeru towering in the center? The whipped cream is ridiculously tall. The price is steep, too. I couldn't help but think: "At Matsunoya, I could use a coupon to get a tonkatsu set meal with a croquette for 590 yen—plus unlimited refills on rice and miso soup..." But then I took a bite, and...


"It's way too much food!"


Hmm... even with my wife helping out, I just couldn't finish that last piece! So much for "cherishing the food"—I just couldn't do it!


I gave up. Still, what is up with that whipped cream—is it Mount Fuji? The Matterhorn? It has a certain air of sinful indulgence...


But it wasn't overly sweet; it was delicious. After eating this in the early afternoon, we were so stuffed that we skipped dinner entirely. Naturally, we skipped a late-night snack, too. I even skipped breakfast the next morning. In the end, the next thing I ate was lunch the following day. I went about 20 hours without eating anything. When you look at it that way, maybe it wasn't so expensive. The volume was enough for three people, not just two, and the cream was tasty without being cloying, so the price might actually be justified by the quality and quantity.


By the way, my wife—our household's own Marie Antoinette—seemed absolutely delighted; she was in high spirits all day long.


Anyway, right now, I see a person filled with bliss before my eyes. Loving someone might actually be pretty easy after all. I might step on a landmine tomorrow, but for today...


Mission Completed!?


Guided by love and mercy


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