Responding to International Day of Happiness (March 20): Sharing love

(Baonghean) - Happiness is always the destination in every person's life. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, each family and community will be happier when each person knows how to "slow down, think differently and love more" by doing small and meaningful things for the people around them...

We visited the family of Mr. Thai Huu Vinh and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nhu Hoa (Hamlet 8 - Hung Chinh, Hung Nguyen) late one afternoon. In front of the house, the grandparents were having fun with their grandchildren. The two daughters-in-law had just come home from work, cleaning the house and cooking together. Laughter and fun filled the house. When all the family members returned home, everyone gathered around the warm and happy dinner table.

In that family, 3 generations (2 grandparents, 2 sons and their wives, and 3 grandchildren) live together very warmly. To have such a happy home, first of all, is the role of the "fire keeper" of the family. Mrs. Hoa shared that for over 40 years, she has been a granddaughter-in-law, daughter-in-law, and mother-in-law. She always kept in mind that she had to fulfill her duties, take care of her grandparents and parents, and always love her children; be exemplary in her words and behavior with people around her, and educate her children and grandchildren to maintain family traditions.

Mr. Dinh Van Khanh's family (Xuan Lam, Nam Dan) gathered together.

In the past, to take care of the family, the grandparents farmed more than 2 hectares of rice fields. Now they are almost seventy years old, their two sons are drivers; the eldest daughter-in-law is a kindergarten teacher, the second daughter-in-law is a trader. To help their parents enjoy their old age, the children voluntarily contribute a little bit each to hire people to plow, plant, and take care of the fields when they have free time and share the common work in the family such as shopping, cooking, childcare, etc. On the contrary, the grandparents usually help take care of the grandchildren so that the children can concentrate on their work. Unity, love and working together make family life always full of laughter, warmth and harmony.

Life has changed a lot, the small family model is gradually replacing the traditional family of "four generations under one roof". Even though not living together with grandparents and parents under one roof, the family is still the cradle full of love for each person.

The family of Mr. Dinh Van Khanh - Nguyen Thi Xuan (Hamlet 16 - Xuan Lam - Nam Dan) is a typical example. Every day, the elderly live happily together, enjoying a piece of betel and a bowl of water with their neighbors. Stroking his silver hair, he happily talks and laughs when talking about his big family with 7 children and 17 grandchildren. Most of his children work and live far away, and do not have the conditions to live under the same roof, but their children and grandchildren often call to ask about their health and encourage their grandparents. Family affection has bridged the distance. Once a month, the children and grandchildren arrange time to gather together; have a warm meal together; the grandchildren also give small gifts such as a box of milk, a shirt, a scarf... to encourage their grandparents. Thanks to that, the elderly always live happily and healthily. Through those reunions, all thoughts and feelings are shared and sympathized; joy is multiplied, worries are released and difficulties and setbacks are supported and helped by family members...

Ms. Dinh Thi Huong (Mr. Khanh's daughter) confided that no matter how busy she is, she always reminds the members of the small family to arrange time to reunite, visit, and encourage grandparents to live happily, healthily, and long with their children and grandchildren; showing filial piety to their parents. And even though each member has their own family and each has a job, they still always turn to their big family to give and receive love; that is the spiritual support, adding motivation for each member in life.

A small house, good children and a simple, modest life are the greatest assets that Mr. and Mrs. Tran Tu Tien and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Minh (Village 1, Thanh Dong Commune, Thanh Chuong District) have after 40 years of living together. That is also the motivation for them to live happily, healthily, usefully and continue to be enthusiastic about social work... There are many definitions of happiness, but for Mr. and Mrs. Tien, happiness is probably the luck of being reunited with each other.

Speaking of this, Mrs. Minh is the one who understands it the most because although they are the same age, same village and same class, but nearly half of the time as a wife, she alone raised her children and took care of her elderly parents. As for him, he struggled from the battlefield of Quang Tri Citadel to the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, then joined the Vietnamese volunteer army to fight in Laos. During those fierce fighting days, although she was always worried, she never dared to say anything, if she cried, she cried alone. The most memorable memory was March, Spring 1974 in Cau Ron, Quang Binh. At that time, both of them had just gotten married, less than a week later he had to return to his unit to prepare to go to B. She came from Nghe An to Quang Binh to take care of her newborn sister. By chance, on the way, he stopped at Cau Ron for dinner and there he met her. Newlyweds meet each other, so much joy and sadness, so many things to say but can only look at each other for about 5 minutes, so much pain and worry everyone keeps hidden in their hearts...

A small house, good children and a simple, peaceful life are the greatest assets of Mr. and Mrs. Tran Tu Tien and Nguyen Thi Minh (village 1, Thanh Dong commune, Thanh Chuong district).

Life after peace was not simple, because he and his wife had 5 children. The subsidy at that time was only "three poles, three coins", all expenses depended on a few fields. Although it was so hard, he and his wife always loved and supported each other, and encouraged each other to try to raise their children. After being demobilized and returning to the locality, he was trusted by the people and the government to be elected as Chairman of the Veterans Association of the commune; Chairman of the Elderly Association, and a village cadre... The responsibility of "carrying the prison and the whole village" with hundreds of tasks, but in any position he always completed the assigned tasks excellently because he always had his wife as a solid "rear". For the past two years, when he was no longer of working age, he took on the task of being Chairman of the Intergenerational Club of the Elderly Association. Although the club members were old, some were nearly 70 years old, they still did a lot of useful work.

That is to establish groups to regularly help the lonely in the commune, including cases in very difficult circumstances such as Mrs. Tran Thi Bay and her children, lonely, she is bedridden due to a serious illness, the case of Mrs. Thai Thi Thu (103 years old), with no one to take care of her... The association has also promoted a support capital of 100 million, thereby helping members build an economic development model, including 6 households that have risen out of poverty such as Mrs. Tran Thi Than's household, Mr. Tran Vo Hau's household... The members of the association are also the main force of the Thanh Dong Commune Cultural and Arts Club. As the club's chairman, since its establishment, Mr. Tien has proactively organized, built programs, composed songs and is a "multi-talented" musician who can play many musical instruments at the same time. The number of musical instruments was also purchased by him with his own money and served the team. The club's activities are also a bright spot for the mass cultural and artistic movement in Thanh Chuong district, a playground and a model for many other localities in the district to learn from.

Nowadays, life is becoming more and more abundant, people's material and spiritual life is increasingly improved. Therefore, many people have more conditions to express their love not only for their family, but also to share with the unfortunate and difficult fates... Originating from the love for poor students at the school where she is teaching, teacher Le Thi Viet (grade 9, Truong Thi ward, Vinh city) voluntarily contributed books, warm clothes, or small amounts of money that she saved to give to the children. From that meaningful work, she received sympathy from friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. After more than 10 years of maintaining activities, Ms. Viet's charity has nearly 30 members participating. They are teachers, housewives, market vendors...

Every day they cut down on household expenses, vegetables, fish... to share with poor students, meritorious people and people in difficult circumstances. Working as a vegetable and grocery seller at Cua Dong market, her family's life is not very well off, but every time the charity group raises donations, Ms. Tran Thi Loan always enthusiastically participates. Because for her, there are many poorer and more difficult fates than her, so she shares her love hoping to ease their difficulties and bring them more joy. Those who share the same wish to do charity to help the poor have been bringing joy to everyone with their kind hearts and they themselves feel happy because "living is giving, not just receiving".

Those practical, small, simple things are contributing to making the life of each person, each family more prosperous, fuller, happier, and more joyful. When we love and share love, happiness will no longer be far away but always present in the life of each family and community.

Dinh Nguyet - My Ha